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Christmas comes early for the Magpies

Last updated : 14 December 2002 By Rob Davies

Put the Magpies 1-0 up
This match totally took me by surprise, I was expecting us to be outplayed and defeated like normal, but to my delight I was proved wrong (for once!).

In fact I have almost forgotten how to praise them, it has been that long since I have needed to!

Notts completely dominated the match playing the best football I have seen this season so far. It was sharp, flowing football and 9 times out of 10 accurate which is how I would like it to be every week! It is games like this where you never seem to stop applauding the players for good play. It kept my hands warm anyway!

I do not want to take anything away from the lads and their

Stallard in action this afternoon
outstanding performances today when I say this, but I think it needs to be said. It may have been a very convincing win, and everyone has gone home happy but… we now need to produce this regularly and consistantly. It is no good playing well, like today, and not building on it, that is the only way we will get out of this relegation battle.

Anyway, lets get back to what really matters – the game.

Despite the terrible weather, Notts were right up for this game which was evident, right from the first minute.

Notts were rewarded for their early pressure after only 7 minutes. Caskey, who had his best game for some time, won the ball and sent Jupp through who played it back to Caskey to put in a cross, which fell to Liburd after the R’s keeper was unable to punch the ball clear. Liburd fired home from 15 yards to give the Magpies the early lead.

Notts continued to press the Hoops into their own half and it wasn’t

Got the 2nd goal
long before County doubled their lead. Nick Fenton headed a Caskey free kick into the Kop stand goal to the delight of the Notts faithful who had braved the British winter to be at the Lane.

Steve Mildenhall, starting his first home league game for nearly a year, was called upon shortly after to deny Brett Angell from a header.

The Magpies proceeded to attack the Rangers goal and some excellent, committed displays from the Notts defence stopped QPR reducing the advantage.

At Half time Notts were still on top of the game. Some silly mistakes could have cost them in the first 45 minutes but for once Notts had good luck on their side and went into the break at 2-0. Even at that score line, the thing that kept echoing in my mind was the amount of times Notts have let leads go, even at 2 goals up. But today was different, I kept telling myself, we can win this, we just need the same performance as the first half and we’ll be fine.

What I’d hoped for came true. The second period was just like the first. Although Queens Park Rangers seemed to have more of the ball, Notts repelled any attacks they had, not always as well as they could have done but none found their way into the net, which is what matters.

Duncan Jupp had a very good game and now that he has got back his match fitness, I hope he continues to improve!

Caskey, Ireland and Allsopp were all unlucky not to have got more goals early on in the second half.

Culkin - Had some shakey moments
Then Stallard missed a one-on-one opportunity after a very short and poor clearance by R’s keeper, Nick Culkin. The goalkeeper spared any possible blushes by saving Stall’s final shot.

A few minutes later Culkin again was let of the hook as an attempted clearance rebounded off one of his own players but ended up inches wide of the left-hand post.

Then Notts got what they had been waiting for, a 3rd goal to rap up the victory on 82 minutes. Allsopp was sent clean through to score from 10 yards out, and claim only his second goal at Meadow Lane this season.

When the whistle finally went it was hard to believe that after what seemed like years of waiting we had at last got our 2nd home win.

Not one of the players can be singled out for having a bad game, which is what has been so easy to do, far too often this season.

Lets hope we can carry on the run at Tranmere next weekend!