Notts safe after Brighton draw

Last updated : 09 May 2011 By Jacob Daniel

Notts County sealed safety at the weekend after a 1-1 draw with champions Brighton at Meadow Lane, with results elsewhere ensuring that the Magpies will be playing in League One again next season. The equation beforehand was simple - three points was all that could mathematically guarantee Notts' survival, with anything less meaning that wins for Dagenham and Walsall would send Notts immediately back down to the fourth tier. For Brighton, they were looking to arrest a slide that had seen them winless since securing the title last month.

Knowing that a draw wasn't necessarily good enough, Martin Allen lined up with an attacking side for the game, with Karl Hawley partnering Lee Hughes upfront, supported by three attacking midfielders in John Spicer, Alan Judge and Craig Westcarr. At the back, Liam Chilvers dropped out with John Thompson returning at right back and Mike Edwards moving to left back in place of Jon Harley. Brighton were missing leading scorer Glenn Murray, but young Ashley Barnes was hoping to reach twenty goals after an impressive season.

Things started brightly for Notts as Alan Judge raced clear of the Brighton defence and fired a low, left footed shot across goal that was well parried by Casper Ankergren, with Gordon Greer hacking clear. This early warning shot was heeded by the visitors though who immediately broke clear and cranked up the nerves at Meadow Lane. A poor clearance by Krystian Pearce was pounced upon by Barnes, who was allowed to race to the edge of the area where he bent a precise finish past Stuart Nelson and into the top corner. The deathly silence that had descended at Meadow Lane was broken immediately though as news filtered through of a goal at London Road, with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing firing Peterborough infront against the Daggers.

Brighton were looking dangerous though and should really have made it two just minutes later, Matt Sparrow racing clear and forcing a smart save out of Stuart Nelson, with Elliott Bennett's rebound cleared off the line by Edwards. An entertaining game was developing as Westcarr hit a warning shot for the Magpies, drilling a low shot narrowly wide of the far post with Ankergren beaten, whilst young New Zealender Chris Wood did the same for Albion, just sending his effort wide. Things got better for the Magpies again as a result of other scores though, with Guly Do Prado putting Southampton ahead against Walsall, with the Saints then quickly doubling their lead.

With both Dagenham and Walsall trailing things looked comfortable for Notts, even more so when they levelled the score. Westcarr teased Marcos Painter down the Brighton left and fired a cross-shot across the face of goal, which was sliced into his own net by the hapless Greer. This gave Notts the impetus going into half time and they could easily have taken the lead, Pearce heading wide when unmarked at the far post and Judge curling a free kick narrowly over the bar. As the players headed into the dressing room at Meadow Lane, there was more news from elsewhere, Julian Gray's curler pulling a goal back for Walsall at Southampton.

Notts burst forward from the second half kick off and nearly got a chance to go infront, Hawley just being crowded out in the box after a neat move. Bishop then burst into the box from a throw in and hooked the ball across the face of goal with no Notts player able to force it over the line. Judge and Spicer both fired off target from long range with Notts threatening to really take hold of the game. However their safety was effectively secured by events elsewhere, with both Peterborough and Southampton doubling their leads against Dagenham and Walsall respectively, effectively securing Notts' League One status.

This created a party atmosphere inside Meadow Lane but the game itself fizzled out somewhat until Sam Sodje was sent off in injury time for a clumsy tackle, picking up his second yellow card. Young substitute George Nicholas could have had a chance to win it for Notts, but he was hauled down by Inigo Calderon and the game finished. In the meantime, Peterborough had made it 5-0 against Dagenham, sending the Daggers straight back down to League Two. Notts, however, can look forward to another year in the third tier of English football.