We take a look at how the watching press viewed our 1-0 success at Chester City at the weekend.

Danny Crow's second-half header earned Notts their first win on the road since November, marking his return on loan with a superb effort to get on the end of Ali Gibb's cross.

Nottingham Evening Post Report by James Pallatt

He did not look at all out of place - certainly not like a striker who had been out of first-team football for four months.

And he did not look like a player who had only enjoyed one training session with his new team-mates, ahead of a crucial encounter.

But there was a sign of the whirlwind couple of days Danny Crow had been forced to contend with, following his loan move to the Magpies on Friday and being thrown straight into the heat of a relegation battle at Chester just a day later.

As he stood giving post-match interviews a plastic tag still pierced his new Notts tracksuit and hung down as a glaring symbol of the haste in which the Crow had landed.

It might not have been an oversight. It could have been he lacked a pair of scissors to remove it. But he certainly did not lack any cutting edge out on the pitch.

His match-winning second-half header was quite simply superb.

There might have been a huge slice of luck in the build-up, with Jay Smith badly miscuing an attempt at goal that ended up at the feet of winger Ali Gibb on the right, but the rest was outstanding.

Gibb whipped a wonderful cross into the penalty area and Crow rose brilliantly above his marker to direct a glancing header past home keeper John Danby and into the far corner of the net. The celebrations told their own story, with boss Ian McParland incapable of containing his joy and relief in the dug-out. He ran out onto the pitch punching the air with both arms.

It was, staggeringly, the first goal from a striker in the black-and-white of Notts since November - and all knew its significance.

Crow could have made himself an instant hero before the 69th minute.

He had a glorious chance to break the deadlock in the first half after Myles Weston, who was a livewire threat on the left wing throughout the game, dispossessed James Vaughan and sent a low first-time cross into the path of the Peterborough striker at the near post.

Crow opened up his body to side-foot the ball across Danby and into the far corner, but sent the ball just past the upright.

His goal aside, Crow showed energy levels that defied his four-month spell on the sidelines before finally tiring and being replaced by Jason Lee on 75 minutes to an ovation from the Magpies' supporters and a kiss on the forehead from McParland as he had made his way into the dug-out for a well-earned rest.

It was a scene in complete contrast to his first loan spell with the club earlier in the season when he only lasted an hour of his debut against Bury before breaking a metatarsal bone in his right foot.

This time around he lasted 15 more minutes - you could call it his 15 minutes of fame.

The youngster has now set himself a target of seven goals before the end of the season to lift Notts away from danger in League Two.

It is the kind of stated self-belief that has been visibly lacking in the ranks of the Magpies strikers for so long this season, and it is the kind of self-belief that the team so desperately needs.

McParland modestly put Crow's immediate impact down to luck rather than a managerial masterstroke. But it was more than just luck. Smith's part in the goal was luck. Having a striker of Crow's clinical class at the club is a masterstroke.

Defender Paul Mayo is also back at the club and he announced his return with an impressive display at left-back in place of the injured Stephen Hunt that could force McParland to rethink his future at the club.

Mayo admitted afterwards he thought he was destined for a second loan spell at Darlington before Hunt got injured but proved he is committed to Notts' cause, completing his appointed defensive duties with aplomb.

He was part of a solid-looking rearguard alongside Mike Edwards, captain Adam Tann and Lee Canoville that meant keeper Kevin Pilkington saw very little meaningful action on route to an important clean sheet.

The only time Pilkington looked concerned was when Edwards sliced an attempted clearance in the second half. The ball looped over the Notts number one and just past the post.

The home side tried to stage a late, levelling, rally and Richie Partridge did prod a close-range chance past the post, but the Magpies were resolute in the face of it all to record only their second away league win of the season.

McParland's men could have scored more goals in an unsurprisingly tight and tense encounter given the stakes for both sides. They certainly enjoyed the better of the few chances in front of goal.

Mayo notably swung a corner into the penalty area in the second half that striker Ryan Jarvis controlled quickly and fired at goal, but Chester midfielder Tony Dinning blocked his effort away to safety.

That chance came and went minutes before Crow struck. Afterwards, leading scorer Richard Butcher came close to doubling their lead when he burst forward onto a pass and angled an effort at goal that Danby did well to block.

It was Crow's day. But as Pilkington can look forward to the reward of a steak from his local butcher for keeping a clean sheet, the striker was forced to settle for a kiss from his manager.

Chester City Official Website Report

A second half Danny Crow goal was enough to consign Chester City to another defeat at the Deva Stadium. The Blues, who are yet to win a game in 2008, extended their dismal run to twelve games without a win with a lacklustre display against fellow strugglers, Notts County.

Blues boss Bobby Williamson made just one change to the side that lost so depressingly at Dagenham and Redbridge in mid-week with Richie Partridge returning to the side in place of Tony Grant, who dropped down to the substitutes bench.

The Blues began brighter and enjoyed a couple of early chances. Loan star Craig Lindfield sailed the ball high over the County bar in the 10th minutes and Tony Dinning's speculative shot drifted wide of the left post two minutes later. But Chester were lucky not to go behind in the 19th minute when former Peterborough United forward Danny Crow latched onto a good ball from Myles Weston, only to his side footed effort rasp agonisingly wide of the John Danby's right post.

Danby pulled off a good save to deny Weston's low drive in the 23rd minute and needed the support of Laurence Wilson, scrambled back to hoof the loose ball clear of danger. Paul Mayo forced Danby into another save in the 39th minute whilst at the other end Craig Lindfield sent a cross cum shot onto the roof of the net just seconds later.

Richie Partridge should have made more of a chance in the 43rd minute when John Murphy set him up, but the former Rotherham United winger struggled to connect with the ball then seconds later Tony Dinning drifted a shot well wide with an effort that went nearer to the corner flag than the target.

City took the game to County in the second half. It wasn't before Magpies goalkeeper Kevin Pilkington was called into action saving from a Lindfield header. Then moments later City almost capitalised from some luck when defender Mike Edwards almost put the ball in his own net. His powerful back pass rasped narrowly wide of the right post with goalkeeper Pilkington misplaced.

But the visitors got back into the game and it wasn't long before Danby was forced into a routine save from Ryan Jarvis. At the other end Partridge headed over in the 68th minute but it wasn't long before the visitors took the lead as the Blues struggled to defend an inswinging cross from the right flank, Danny Crow latched onto it to head the ball home past the despairing reaches of the City goalkeeper.

The visitors could have made it 2-0 when minutes later Richard Butcher found himself one on one with Danby, but the former Kidderminster Harrier pulled off a great save to deny the advancing midfielder. With ten minutes remaining Kevin Roberts could have levelled the scores but saw his headed saved by Pilkington and Chris Holroyd sent a effort just wide minutes later but it wasn't to be as Notts County held out for the three points.