It's the U'sual for Notts
Last updated : 23 November 2002 By Rob Davies
In approximately the 1 ½ after I have arrived home from Meadow Lane, I have said one sentence which was "Not a lot will make me smile I’m afraid". Which just about sums up my mood at the moment. After sitting there to watch Notts loose to a very, very average side I have just given up and I really can’t see a lot at the end of the tunnel – apart from possible relegation.To be quite honest I don’t even know how I have plucked up the enthusiasm to write this report. I’ve reached a new low. After Southport I honestly thought that I couldn’t get much lower but gradually it is.
I’m probably making this sound a lot worse than it actually was as Notts played quite well for the 1st 45 minutes.
 | Got the 1st goal of the game. |
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We kicked off in bright sunshine and Notts had all the early chances but, just typical of Notts’ luck, the first time Colchester went down the pitch for an attempt on goal they scored. That took all of 7 minutes and I was left wondering what might have been had some of those early chances been made to count.Notts continued to pressure the U’s as we found that there were a few weak links in their team.
One of those was their goalkeeper, Simon Brown, he seemed very shaky throughout the match and when Danny Allsopp grabbed an equaliser on 16 minutes we were all wondering how on earth he didn’t stop it. It was more of a back pass than a shot.
Less than 1 minute later Allsopp sent the ball through to Michael
 | Deserved the goal |
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Brough who hit a shot from just inside the left edge of the 18-yard box which hit the post before rebounding in to the empty net. Broughy certainly deserved that goal. He got stuck in and had a good game, maybe his international call up gave him the bit of confidence that he needed.Notts fans were in dreamland. But I knew that if we were going to win we had to hold on to the lead, which in recent weeks we have seemed incapable of doing. It yet again proved to be a problem for the Pies.
 | Morgen |
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10 minutes before half time the equaliser came for Colchester. Dean Morgan got his second goal of the game when he got into the box, after a pass from the right. Controversy surrounded this goal thought, as many Notts fans and players felt that the ball that had been played down the line in the build up play, crossed the side line before swerving back in again. Whether it went out or not, isn’t going to change the fact that Notts conceded after all the pressure they had had. At half time we still looked able to get another goal as Colchester were about as good as their position in the table suggested before kick off.
Half time came and went and it was back to business.
 | Notts should have had a penalty |
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County had chance after chance but they all went begging. Either through lack of good finishing, strength or just plain old bad luck. We even had about 3 penalty appeals turned down after various incidents. One was after a clear handball when a Colchester player was lying on the floor after a challenge and he seemed to push the ball away so the Notts player (can’t remember who) couldn’t get an attempt on goal.We also put less pressure on the U’s than in the first half, which allowed them to get back into the game.
After 65 minutes, Notts reverted to the 5-3-2 formation, replacing Duncan Jupp with Mark Stallard.
If that was supposed to be a defending change it didn’t work. 5 minutes before the final whistle Scott McGleish got the Essex team back in front after a looping ball into the Notts area was not properly dealt with by the Notts defence and he headed it over the stranded Stuart Garden who had come out of his goal.
Players chased back in an effort to clear it when it got to the goal line but were unable to stop Colchester getting the goal and claiming all 3 points in front of Meadow Lane’s lowest crowd of the season – just 4626.
I heard on the radio in the car on the way back that F****t had gone down fighting (or words to that effect). I just wish Notts would do that.
 | Will we go down? |
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At the moment I really don’t know and can’t see where our next win is going to come from. We just look, from my point of view, to be on a one way trip to oblivion (and no, not the one at Alton Towers!) and Division 3. Even though its only November and we played for spells today it may sound a bit strong to say that but in the league record it doesn’t say "Notts County played well until half time but still lost to Colchester " it just says "Notts County 2-3 Colchester United. But still we have Blackpool next week…
Yes, you’re probably thinking the same as me – it can’t get any worse… or can it?
