Back to the same routine as County go down again

Wet, windy and the performance matched the weather!

It was an ery atmosphere tonight and you had to be their to know what I mean. It sort of felt like the game was worthless. Where did all last Saturdays effort, pride, commitment, passion and determination go? Don't tell me they left all that in the changing rooms again!

But they did and although the start from the Leagues oldest football team was brighter than their opponents, Notts looked like they could not step up a gear whilst Wigan looked like they could.

The back four were sloppy and once more Movement and good passing skills were about as present as a Panther in the Lake District.

Once again we cannot keep hold of the ball. We are Incapable of stringing more than four passes throughout a match and movement - well it never has been there this season.

Notts did start off brighter than Wigan but a real sloppy piece of defending from Mark Warren in particular gave Lee McCulloch a chance to strike from outside the edge of the box and strike he did. The Scottsman hit the ball with accuracy and power, something that our forwards can only dream of! And young Wigan Striker put the Visitors in front after a dreadful clearence in the air from Warren.

County players' heads had dropped and it was Wigan who started to play the nice passing football and for a five minute period County simply couldn't get the ball off them.

Notts had a couple of free kicks in the first half, both taken from Darren Caskey who didn't have his best game, but the free kicks were wasted on a night that was never to be.

Baraclough was foolish

Right after the break it was Ian Baraclough who was going to make Notts' hill alot more steeper to climb after the Magpies were reduced to ten men. Baraclough stupidly put his stoods into the back of an Atheltic player's back and Mr Danson was right to produce the red card for violent conduct.

Two substitutions were made to liven things up and hopefully give Notts a lifeline. Heffernen and Richardson came on to replace Caskey and Stallard.

On 63 minutes of the action, 3,258 of the Notts County fans were left with something to cling onto - a goal. Substitute Ian Richardson was free down the left hand side and Danny Allsopp put in the cross for Richo to smash home the equaliser.

Paul Bolland was carried off with a hamstring injury and Nick Fenton replaced him.

Richardson - Out for the rest of the season

Were things going to get better? No. Goalscorer and captain Ian Richardson was toppled on by an Athletic opponent. Richardson has apparently broken his arm and wil miss the rest of the season.

The heads were now as low as ever and they were clearly outnumbered and outclassed. It was Gerry teale - the young Irishiman, he scurried down the right hand side and after garden had left his right segment of the goal open the eighteen uyear old fired infront of the hundred travelling support.

Meadow Lane

Their was no coming back as the rain poured and the atmosphere diclined and the last Huge nail was finally whacked into the Notts County relegation coffin when in injury time Paul Daglish put the ball in the back of the net after a dreadful day on a whole for Notts County FC.

I leave you with this statistic: Two wins from the last 24 matches, now, is that relegation form? Or is that relegation form?