Magpies preserve league status

Last updated : 07 May 2006 By Rob Davies
After appealing for supporters to remain positive - in-spite of the dreadful position the team found itself in - the severely-bolstered crowd of just under 10,000 responded with their performance of the season.

The atmosphere had been building before the game and only intensified several notches when Notts County God Jimmy Sirrel appeared on the pitch prior to kick-off.

Sirrel: Standing ovation
Sirrel's cameo was truly memorable, with the former manager appealing to supporters to get behind the team for its 'most important game in it's history'.

Nothing could match that - but the point was correctly made that if the players couldn't get themselves motivated for an occasion such as this then they had no hope of progressing any further in the game.

And, in fairness, they made a start that was on a par with anything they've produced this season.

Gudjon Thordarson opted with the risky option of Eugene Dadi in attack, alongside Steve Scoffham - and it was Dadi's flick-on that made the game's first chance for his strike partner, but Scofham didn't shoot early enough and was denied by a last-ditch tackle from Chris Brass.

Notts continued to pressure, though, and after Julien Baudet had headed wide from point-blank range, Liam Needham squandered a golden chance to put the Magpies in-front in the 16th minute, a bad first touch meaning his eventual effort was comfortably blocked by Dave Challinor.

News at this stage was that Oxford's early advantage had already been cancelled out, leaving their match with Leyton Orient evenly poised at 1-1.

Almost expectedly, Notts' good start faded and, though it came with their first effort on target, Bury's opener had come on the back of a good spell for the visiting side.

Rob Ullathorne gifted the visitors a soft corner and the veteran full-back would be made to pay for his error, as Dwayne Mattis was allowed time and space to nod home Brian Barry-Murphy's inswinging corner at the near post.

Dadi: Starter
Body-blow, but the Notts fans responded. Just like at the start of the game, post-mortems could be saved and the players were roared back to the halfway lane.

As the half-time scores involving the other teams involved in the relegation dogfight flooded in, it was clear that they were all in the balance - plunging the Magpies' future in doubt and providing their supporters with one of the most tense 45 minutes they will ever experience.

Half Time: Notts County 0-1 Bury

Thordarson had clearly drilled his team with an attacking message at the interval, but Notts' gung-ho approach was proving more of a hinderance than a help in the early stages of the second half.

The impressive Needham had fired an early effort into the side-netting, but, at the other end, Kevin Pilkington produced an outstanding stop to deny Jon Daly when a goal looked certain.

It was the inspirational David Pipe who was providing Notts' best moments and the Welshman came within inches of finding the equaliser with a left-footed volley that flew narrowly wide of Kasper Schmeichel's right-hand upright.

Even on a relative personal offday such as yesterday, Pipe was commitment personified and still managed to remain head and shoulders above the rest of the team. Credit must go to Thordarson for correcting his initial mistake and reverting Pipe back to the centre of the pitch for such a big occasion.

Scoffham was then denied after an excellent cross by Pipe - now back on the right-hand side after the arrival of Lewis McMahon from the substitutes' bench.

The atmosphere was tense, with fans beginning to show their frustrations - not least with Dadi, ever the willing scapegoat on his final appearence for the club. However, a goal from Leyton Orient - which meant Oxford had to score twice to stay-up - lifted the noise-levels and provided the crowd with the boost they needed.

Thordarson wasn't keen on relying on events elsewhere though and removed both of his strikers in an attempt to muster a goal. Dan Chillingworth and 16-year-old Stef Frost replacing them.

Frost has already made a handful of appearences for the first-team but was welcomed to this game with an accidental head to the face.

The clash was sickening and full credit must go to the scholar for continuing after such a heavy blow. None of us knew the full-scale of Frost's bravery, though.

The talented teenager later collapsed in the dressing-room and has no recollection of the last five minutes of the game. He is due to undergo a CT scan tomorrow and, though physio John Haseldon tried to get him off the pitch, Frost refused - on the grounds that Notts would be left with ten men.

If there is any justice, the youngster will have a huge future in the game. With Notts County.

It may have dazed the youngster but it certainly didn't faze him, a direct run causing problems in the Bury defence - with Chillingworth not quite able to connect to the low cross.

Disaster was to strike, though. County had thrown an increasing number of players in attack in a desperate search for the equaliser and were caught out when a routine long-ball found substitute Tom Youngs, who cooly slotted under Pilkington.

With less than 10 minutes to go, it seemed like it was game-over. Some headed for the exits while some, perhaps wisely, headed downstairs to keep tabs on the Oxford score. With Jim Smith's side grabbing an equaliser to make it 2-2, it meant Notts were now just one goal away from the Conference.

Worse still, the pre-match optimism had well and truly gone out of the window. Fans taunted their team with chants of: "You're not fit to wear the shirt" as the very-real prospect of non-league football finally took its toll.

Baudet: Mr Cool
Pipe, though, wasn't easily beaten. Rallying round all of the troops, the Welshman didn't fancy playing Conference football - even if some of his team-mates didn't appear to care either way.

With four minutes to go it was his free-kick that led to the beginning of the Notts fightback. Mike Edwards won the flick-on and Dan Martin kept his head to neatly volley past Schmeichal and put the Magpies back in the game.

With Martin and Julien Baudet joining Chillingworth and Frost in attack, it was all hands on deck for Notts, who were still relying on others to preserve their standing as the World's Oldest Football League Club.

Martin's goal had changed the whole atmosphere, though, and almost immediately after the Magpies were handed a golden opportunity to gain an unlikely point. Edwards' pot-shot took a horrible bounce that allowed Chris Palmer to latch onto Schmeichel's spillage, being dragged down as he rounded the on-loan Man City goalkeeper.

It was chaos on the sidelines but credit must go to Baudet, who kept his head to slot home.

The crowd were on the pitch, but it wasn't yet all over.

Five minutes later, the final whistle was blown and the same fans were back on the pitch - more out of relief then celebration.

While the County team ran down the tunnel for fear of mixing with the people who pay their wages, there was one exception. The same one man who has been the exception to much of the dross that we have seen in this disasterous campaign.

Pipe defied his own physical safety to sprint over to the Jimmy Sirrel Stand in order to toast the team's survival. Hoisted onto the crowd's soldiers - the Welshman was joy personified.

If Pipe hadn't already established himself as a Notts County cult hero, he has now.

With three of the star performers yesterday contracted to next season, it is time now for us to take a well-earned break and trust Thordarson to build a squad capable of finally building a sustained promotion push.

Another 21st-placed finish is unlikely to celebrated again. No more excuses Gudjon, it's time to deliver.

Full Time: Notts County 2-2 Bury

Match Ratings: Pilkington 7; Doyle 7, Baudet 6, Edwards 7, Ullathorne 5; Palmer 6, Pipe 8*, Martin 7, Needham 7 (McMahon 6); Dadi 6 (Frost 7), Scoffham 5 (Chillingworth 6).

Not Used: Marshall, O'Callaghan.