We take a look at how the press viewed our weekend defeat to Stockport County at Meadow Lane.

Notts went ahead through Stephen Hunt's early header, but Stockport netted all three points thanks to goals from Anthony Elding and Liam Dickinson.

Nottingham Evening Post Report by James Pallatt

The sorry story of Notts' season so far was played out in all its despairing detail in the 2-1 defeat to Stockport County at Meadow Lane.

Firstly, they failed to hang onto an early lead, given to them so impressively by Stephen Hunt, for more than six minutes.

Notts then conceded two poor goals in quick, spirit-shattering, succession to Anthony Elding and Liam Dickinson.

And then finally they lacked the cutting edge needed to stage a second-half rescue mission.

There were few highlights for Magpies' boss Ian McParland as he watched his side slip to a third successive defeat on home soil from the dug-out, but the fine debut in black-and-white of loan winger Felix Bastians was one.

He only had one training session with his new team-mates, following his move across the River Trent from Nottingham Forest on Friday, but he quickly got into his stride.

It was his trickery on the left wing that forced the corner from which Hunt broke the deadlock.

And he came closest to levelling the game in the second half when he unleashed a venomous strike that hit Conrad Logan's left-hand upright. The visitors' keeper was thoroughly beaten by the awesome audacity and pace of the effort.

Bastians was not alone in being impressive, with Hunt's display equally so.

After missing a glorious chance to score a header from a measured Neil MacKenzie corner at Hereford on New Year's Day, the young defender made no mistake when the midfielder swung a flag-kick into the penalty area on seven minutes.

He rose magnificently in a crowded box to meet the ball and head it past Logan from close-range.

He also completed his appointed defensive duties with aplomb, at left-back in the first half and in the centre of a reshuffled Magpies' defence in the second half, following the exit of Guy Branston during the half-time interval.

If Bastians made an unforgettable debut, Branston's was quite the opposite at the heart of the Notts defence alongside Krystian Pearce.

He made an encouraging start with two no-nonsense clearances in the opening stages, but his lack of match fitness was terribly exposed by the pace and slick interplay of the visitors' attackers.

Branston and Pearce were both completely outdone as Stockport went route-one to level the game on 13 minutes.

First, Dickinson beat Branston to Logan's long goal-kick and then Elding beat Pearce for sheer pace and power to the knockdown.

The visitors' leading scorer then showed incredible composure to rifle an angled drive across the body of Kevin Pilkington and into the bottom corner of the net to make it 1-1.

Branston could have conceded a penalty three minutes later, as Elding continued to torment. He put his arm across the striker's body in a desperate attempt to slow his rapid progress into the penalty area, before Pilkington rushed off his goal-line to block his effort. Referee Mick Thorpe waved away the visitors' protests, but a penalty could so easily have been awarded.

A torrid opening 17 minutes for Branston were capped when he was yellow carded for an ill-timed tackle. It was his fifth caution of the season and rules him out of the trip to Bradford on Saturday through suspension.

Richard Butcher tried to lead a Notts reply midway through the first half, with a marauding surge forward from the halfway line to the edge of Stockport's penalty area.

He cut the ball back to MacKenzie, but he was thwarted as he tried to create a gap for a shot. It fell to the feet of Hector Sam, but Logan comfortably held his tame snap-shot.

The Magpies continued to look vulnerable on the counter-attack and Elding nearly capitalised on 33 minutes, beating the offside trap laid for him and breaking down the left.

He cut inside onto his right-foot and unleashed a shot that Pilkington parried. It fell straight back to the striker's feet, but Pearce recovered to deflect his second bite wide for a corner.

Denied but not deterred, Stockport went ahead from the subsequent flag-kick as David Poole curled the ball to the far post, where Dickinson headed past the despairing Pilkington.

Confidence suddenly began to course through the visitor's veins and visibly drained from Notts as they were opened up at will. Twice Stockport scythed through the Magpies' ragged back-line before the half-time interval, only to be halted by an offside flag.

The break gave McParland the chance he desperately needed to regroup his players, but the loss of Butcher to illness was a severe blow.

His replacement, Gary Silk, never carried the same creativity or threat in the second half. Austin McCann did well, following his introduction for Branston. The Magpies' defence was much more solid and assured with him at left-back and Hunt alongside Pearce.

Still, it was the visitors who should have killed the game off just before the hour mark, but Pilkington rushed off his line and forced Poole to prod the ball wide of the far post.

Gary Dicker had a golden opportunity to make it 3-1 on 62 minutes, from a free-kick that was delivered into the penalty area from the right. He got in front of his marker at the near post, but directed his header wide.

That stung the Magpies into attacking action and they twice went close to levelling the game.

First, Bastians hit the post with a thunderous strike from just inside the penalty area on 66 minutes and then MacKenzie curled a free-kick onto the angle of the right post and crossbar on 68 minutes. It was stirring stuff from Notts, but the closest they came in the end.

The sorry story of their season could turn into a tragedy unless Notts sort out their fatal flaws. And quickly.

Manchester Evening News Report by Guy Nelson

Stockport County made it three league wins on the trot thanks to first-half goals from Anthony Elding and Liam Dickinson.

Things didn't start well for Jim Gannon's side when Stephen Hunt headed home Neil Mackenzie's inswinging corner after just six minutes.

And matters didn't improve when skipper Gaz Owen came off with a pulled hamstring.

But Elding equalised in the 13th minute when he struck from inside the penalty area with a right-footed shot after Dickinson's knock-down for his third goal in as many games.

Dickinson should have had a penalty when he was pulled back by Guy Branston.

But the striker's luck changed in the 34th minute when he gave County the lead, deflecting Anthony Pilkington's cross in off his face for his tenth goal of the season.

A reorganised Notts County edged the second half, but despite Felix Bastians and Mackenzie both hitting the woodwork Stockport held on.