No Love at the 'Lane as Magpies are defeated

When Gudjon Thordarson said that Notts County were now gunning for the playoffs, he meant it. After an extremely strong month of January, the signings of experienced duo Lee Crooks and Eugene Dadi seemed to have galvanised an average Notts side into one that looked capable of promotion from this dreadful league.

But Wycombe Wanderers showed last night just how far this Notts County team are away from being classed as genuine promotion-contenders.

The Chairboys hadn't won for five games going into the game, but were a class above the Magpies in every department.

Thordarson's team had good work rate and honest endeavour. John Gorman's side had genuine quality all over the pitch.

It was a lesson for Notts. The gulf between the also-rans and the side who have consistently been inside the three automatic promotion places was very much in evidence.

Oakes: Quality

Wycombe have gambled on promotion, much in the same way that the Magpies did in 2001 from League One.

While County are still paying the price for that failed gamble, Wycombe look very much a team destined for promotion.

Looking at the two teams, only Kelvin Wilson and David Pipe from the Notts side could stake a justifiable claim to get into the Wanderers side.

Money talks and, in Gorman, Wycombe have a manager who had the knowledge and experience to spend it wisely.

As a fan, it's hard not to wonder that when the board took that almighty gamble five years ago, what could have been had Notts had a manager of the ilk of Gorman in charge, instead of Jocky Scott.

Ex Notts man Stefan Oakes lined-up on the left-hand side of the Wanderers' midfield and relished his personal battle with former team-mate and friend Pipe.

Clearly keen to impress, Oakes was happy to win defensive headers as well as again display his outstanding range of passing that belongs at a far higher level.

But, from Wycombe, quality was coming from all over the pitch. On the other side of the pitch, Sergio Torres proved an exciting customer, while Kevin Betsy once again proved he is far too good for this level.

It was a pleasing rarity to see a League Two side playing football on the floor, with Wycombe making the most of both the bigger pitch and fantastic playing surface that Meadow Lane offers.

Despite Wycombe's first-half dominance, it was Notts who had the first opening of the game. Mike Edwards met Liam Needham's cross first-time but could only fire his effort straight at Frank Talia.

Dadi: Poor

An extremely disappointing Dadi also had a decent opening, but fired his 20-yard free-kick straight into the few Wycombe fans who opted to make the journey.

On-loan Ipswich striker Dean Bowdich had Wycombe's first opening as he exposed O'Callaghan's lack of pace before firing a left-footed effort narrowly wide of Kevin Pilkington's left-hand post.

The Chairboys had now found their feet and were asking difficult questions of the Magpies back three, that was missing the balance that the youthful Dan Martin provides.

Oakes was the next to come close, firing a rasping 25-yarder that was well-saved by Pilkington.

The resulting corner saw Roger Johnson's powerful header cleared off-the-line by Needham, but it had become a question of when, not if, the visitors would break the deadlock.

It eventually occured in the 32nd minute, ironically after a Notts attack. The ridiculously quick Betsy led the break-away, before finding Tommy Mooney whose looping right-wing cross was eventually dispatched by Bowditch, after hesitancy between Pilkington and O'Callaghan.

Oakes nearly doubled the Wanderers advantage shortly after, but his deflected free-kick provoked an excellent save from Pilkington, though there was debate as to whether the ball had crossed the line before the Notts keeper scrambled the ball to safety.

The Magpies had upped their game by the time O'Callaghan equalised in the 54th minute.

Julien Baudet's free-kick cannoned back off the wall to the feet of the Irish defender, whose shot was deflected past the helpless Talia.

O'Callaghan: On target

The goal sparked Notts' best spell of the game, and even an unlikely victory was briefly on the cards. Debutant Daniel Chillingworth was a willing worker in attack, while Pipe came close with a low drive after an excellent run.

Wycombe's quality, though, was always in evidence. Pilkington produced the save of the match when he saved Mooney's point-blank header, but the Chairboys were to crush the hopes of the Magpies with a 76th minute winner.

Oakes - booed by the home faithful throughout - was withdrawn to be replaced by Ian Stonebridge.

Stonebridge barely broke stride as he headed home Clint Easton's free-kick with his very first touch. The striker had been on the field of play 13 seconds.

It was woeful marking by the Magpies, who had looked like claiming an unlikely point after being thoroughly dominated in the first period.

Baudet and Dadi both missed decent openings to level late-on for Notts, but it would have been unfair on Wycombe.

For Thordarson, February has not been a kind month. The Icelander will still believe that Notts County are capable of reaching the playoffs and Saturday sees Peterborough Utd visit Meadow Lane.

With Peterborough in a similar league position to the Magpies - not to mention Notts' run of three straight defeats - the game carries huge importance.

Let's just hope they're not as good as Wycombe.

Full Time: Notts County 1-2 Wycombe Wanderers

Match Ratings to follow.