Derby defeat damages survival hopes

Last updated : 12 March 2008 By Footymad Previewer
Notts County's season continues to go from bad to worse as their football league status remains in grave jeopardy.

All this can be attributed to is a shocking home record and the inability to score anything like a sufficient number of goals.

Lincoln City became the tenth visitors to take away all three points from
Forrester... Rifled in to punish Mayo error
Meadow Lane, where Notts have only won once in their last nine attempts - a truly shocking record.

Against the improving Imps they played with more spirit than on Saturday, in a goalless bore with Barnet, but were still woefully deficient in important areas.

Lincoln, reviving instantly from their 4-1 pasting at Chesterfield in their last outing, settled it with a goal in 16 minutes.

Dany N'Guessan engineered it with a fine, strong run in the inside left channel and when Paul Mayo headed the centre away it fell invitingly to the onrushing Jamie Forrester who drove it low into the far corner for his 11th goal of the season.

N'Guessan had three chances to double Lincoln's lead at the start of the second half, missing badly with them all.

At the other end Spencer Weir-Daley, who was lively throughout, drove just wide of Alan Marriott's left-hand post.

But the closest Notts came was during a period of sustained pressure, when defender Mayo saw his header headed off the line by Lincoln captain Scott Kerr.

Notts brought the experienced Jason Lee and Andy Parkinson off the bench in a last ditch effort to salvage a point but Marriott's moments of anxiety remained few and far between.

Another real disappointment for Notts was that a local Derby clash, which usually produces one of the biggest gates of the season, on this occasion drew under 4,000 of whom nearly 900 travelled from Lincoln.

It was they who went home far happier than the anxious Notts supporters.