Stevenage vs Notts

[AFaceInTheCrowd]

Tricky away game at a side who appear very inconsistent in form.

Properly boring away game with the only redeeming feature is its next to a dual carriageway for a speedy exit.

Have your stewards calmed down yet or do they still think checking whether bras are underwired is a significant risk to the safety of all inside the Lamex?

 

[Youpies]

We tend to do alright at Stevenage. Didn't even Kiwomya manage a result down there? Teddy Sherringham had us as favourites after Moniz's total football.

I tend to think we are a better away side than home side. We play with less pressure and tend to be very difficult to break down. Pace is our nemesis but we did ok against Crawley and the Lamex has a small pitch which is good for our direct approach

 

[william death]

I'd take a point here with a couple of home games to come that we should be looking at winning.

I'm not sure we do that well at Stevenage, we seem to either win or lose with not many draws, lost 3-0 there last season and the 1-0 defeat in the FA Cup 4th round a few years ago was a low.

They've been in poor form lately but have some good players and beat Nantwich 5-0 last week to likely regain a little confidence - at least that win will have given us some idea what we have to defend against.

Imagine we'll probably be unchanged from the side that beat Bristol Rovers and Newport.

 

[jacobncfc]

We tend to do alright at Stevenage. Didn't even Kiwomya manage a result down there? Teddy Sherringham had us as favourites after Moniz's total football.

I tend to think we are a better away side than home side. We play with less pressure and tend to be very difficult to break down. Pace is our nemesis but we did ok against Crawley and the Lamex has a small pitch which is good for our direct approach

Not sure that's necessarily true, our away form hasn't been great since we battered Exeter and we've been fantastic the last two home games.

Our lack of pace means that we struggle on the break, we're at our best pressing teams high and getting midfield runners beyond Stead and Ameobi imo. Have done that the last two games and blown Newport and Bristol Rovers away.

Would take a point here, anyway, but we're capable of winning it for sure.

 

[Pieyedfry]

Would like a win here, like people say lack of pace could be detrimental to notts, but they do have quick players. Grant and Hawkridge aren't exactly slow. Wonder if changes will be made, be interesting to see if they'll keep Stead and Ameobi or get Forte in after he scored midweek.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Would be very surprised if Forte plays. He’s a distinctive 3rd choice this season in the managers eyes.
Personally I think he needs to do a tad more when he’s given the chance

 

[LongEatonPie]

Hoping for a least a point here, we do ok against Stevenage but we did against Crewe and that didn’t end well.

With our owner and manager already targeting improvements to the squad, most of which will cost transfer fees we need to be winning this type of game.

 

[jolua]

Just dropped my boy at the ground and really congested traffic. From what I hear been an accident on the A1M, apparently was gridlock but improving a bit now.

 

[jolua]

We are low on confidence and are on a poor run of form so not expecting anything from this one. Would gladly take a point but I very much doubt we'll get that.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Happy enough with that, could easily have won it at the end but when we go behind I don’t have faith in us turning it around.

Take a good away point back to the Meadow Lane

 

[Optipez]

Win the home games, draw the aways and you tend to get promoted.
I just want us to stay in contention until the transfer window opens as I've faith in Nolan to improve us and get us that bit extra up front.

 

[jolua]

1pt more than I expected us to get, wasn't there but sounded like fair result.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

I actually went to this game with a friend as missed out on Cheltenham tickets and what else is there to do on a Saturday but watch football (well that and we are sad bastards!)

Both teams fairly direct, Stevenage looking to get Godden running in the channels and Notts County looking to hit Stead and play off him, didnt make for a great spectacle to be honest. County started the better but faded a little after Stevenage had hit the bar. Shortly after Stevenage scored and had the most of the rest of the half also.

Second half County were far better, created a couple of good openings but it was a real bad error from Smith to gift them the equaliser from the only true clear cut chance they had. Grant had a couple of half chances and they put the ball in the box the last 5 minutes but Stevenage defended reasonably well. Smith had a but of a torrid second half, almost did the same shortly after that and fell over his own feet whilst dribbling with no one around him!

Dont think County showed their best obviously and 1-1 was probably about right but could see why they are up there, looked a solid and experienced outfit and in Hewitt and especially Grant I think they have 2 good players who can turn games in their favour. Likely wasnt one of his better games I think but you could see that Grant in particular has real quality, some of his little touches and flicks were lovely and also got himself in some good positions in and around the box.

 

[jolua]

Second half County were far better, created a couple of good openings but it was a real bad error from Smith to gift them the equaliser from the only true clear cut chance they had. Grant had a couple of half chances and they put the ball in the box the last 5 minutes but Stevenage defended reasonably well. Smith had a but of a torrid second half, almost did the same shortly after that and fell over his own feet whilst dribbling with no one around him!

Individual errors have cost us a fair few points this season. We are inconsistent and in L2 the consistent teams are at or near the top, not necessarily the best teams to watch (not that we are that either!)

 

[jacobncfc]

We were miles from our best there and missed Ameobi a lot in such a physical game, so got to be happy with a point.

Had loads of pressure, balls into the box and set pieces in that second half but just couldn't convert it into shots on goal. Were really unlucky with a few deflections but Stevenage defended well to be fair.

 

[Youpies]

Good match report from the fat center half, exactly how I saw it. Think we were unlucky today in parts. Could easily have knocked it at the end with the amount of balls in the box

We absolutely are a better team when Ameobi plays. Stead was good today, did what he needed to do, but Shola is just top class

 

[jacobncfc]

Think today showed that we're a goalscoring striker away from a very good team - a proper goalscorer would've converted one of those loose balls into a goal.

Good to see someone else pick Elliott Hewitt out, anyway. Nolan has done a lot of good things since taking over, but converting him from a pretty bad right back into a box-to-box midfielder capable of keeping last season's player of the year out of the team might be the most impressive.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Individual errors have cost us a fair few points this season. We are inconsistent and in L2 the consistent teams are at or near the top, not necessarily the best teams to watch (not that we are that either!)

Just my opinion of course but it looked like you need something a bit better in central midfield. Defensivley you looked decent today (a world away from the last time I saw you lot!!!) and up top I think you have 2 decent looking players but the midfield just wasnt up to creating anything for them, most of your "possession" such that it was, was Pett hooking the ball on for Godden to chase into a channel winning the odd throw in/free kick in the process.

Can see why Smith is playing, but I think you need a more creative driving force than Pett in centre mid (I always thought he was a winger in any case?).

 

[Youpies]

Marty Godden is a top player for this level. Would love him to be in this Notts team.

Stevenage and Notts did try and kick lumps out of each other today. The ref was particularly poor though. Loved blowing his whistle and the two Notts bookings in quick succession were an indication he’d lost control

 

[jolua]

Just my opinion of course but it looked like you need something a bit better in central midfield. Defensivley you looked decent today (a world away from the last time I saw you lot!!!) and up top I think you have 2 decent looking players but the midfield just wasnt up to creating anything for them, most of your "possession" such that it was, was Pett hooking the ball on for Godden to chase into a channel winning the odd throw in/free kick in the process.

Can see why Smith is playing, but I think you need a more creative driving force than Pett in centre mid (I always thought he was a winger in any case?).

Your dead right, loads of Boro fans have been saying the exact same thing. Pett is not a CM his defensive side is virtually non-existent.

 

[Connor Fryer]

Not a bad draw, obviously disappointed not to have won given where we are, but like others have said a decent point which would have been three with a more clinical striker. As long as notts are in the mix come january, then they'll stand a good chance of promotion, as I believe they are holding some of their budget back.