Notts' play-off hopes go the wall

Last updated : 19 February 2006 By Rob Bristol

First and foremost, let it be said that the above-average attendance figures from yesterday’s game was less a credit to the Notts fans, but more so to the travelling Peterborough contingency, who came in their droves - 1,700 to be precise - to see their play-off hopes boosted by victory against an uninspiring Magpies side.

Dadi: Scored from the 'spot
In a drab first half, it soon became painfully obvious that goals were going to be at something of a premium, as Notts failed to test Peterborough 'keeper Lee Harrison, despite two excellent balls in by Noe Sissoko.

Making his first start for the club, Sissoko’s quality crosses were unlucky not to pick-out one of his teammates who were, quite clearly, not on the same wavelength as the giant midfielder.

Not to be out-done, the sixth-placed Posh were equally unimposing during the opening half-an-hour, with a bore draw looking evermore likely. Just five minutes before the interval, however, a dreadful error by Brian O'Callaghan saw the Irishman head unconvincingly away, only for the ball to soar towards one Danny Crow, who let fly with a first-time volley to open the scoring.

The half-time interval saw Sissoko replaced by Chris Palmer, but little was to change from the disappointing first-half showing from the Magpies, as they would have found themselves out-of-sight early in the second-half had it not been for custodian Kevin Pilkington. With Posh coming out of the traps quickest, the visitor’s early second-half chances were met superbly by the ex-Mansfield ‘keeper.

After making two decent stops to deny Steve Bleasdale's on-form side, Pilkington can count himself unlucky for United’s second, as former Notts County loanee James Quinn pounced on a parried stop from the Notts shot-stopper to double the visitor’s lead.

Notts looked a beaten team, and with very little to offer up front, much of the dejected home supporters headed for the exits with twenty minutes still on the clock. Notts’ only lifeline – albeit totally undeserved – came from the penalty spot, after Posh defender Sean St Ledger handled an excellent Palmer cross inside the six-yard box.

Dadi papered over the painfully visible cracks of a disappointing personal display by sending the 'keeper the wrong way, giving the Magpies a glimmer of hope with thirteen minutes remaining. The game, though, fizzled out without Notts offering any real threat of drawing level.

With the Magpies now lumbering in thirteenth place following four straight defeats, the fans, players and, indeed, manager Gudjon Thordarson now all seemed resigned to having missed the play-off boat.