We take a look at how the press from both angles viewed our 3-1 home defeat to Bradford City at the weekend.

Despite taking the lead just before the hour through Ryan Jarvis the Magpies slumped to defeat as the visitors netted three goals in twelve second-half minutes.

Nottingham Evening Post Report By James Pallatt

For an hour Notts were impressive.

On-loan striker Ryan Jarvis had scored his first goal for the club, in clinical fashion. And the Magpies looked assured at the back, with new keeper Russell Hoult in commanding form.

Surely, they were going to hold onto their lead and claim a vital three points in their battle against relegation in League Two. It was narrow but the visitors had rarely threatened.

Magpies' boss Ian McParland, who was in the stands as he began his two-game touchline ban imposed by the FA, certainly believed his side were going to hold on.

For the first time of his short reign, he was confident his players would protect a lead. They had come a long way since losing 3-0 at Valley Parade last month.

But how wrong he was.

Notts were awful in the last half-an-hour. They conceded three goals - all in 12 mad minutes.

The inability to hold onto a lead has been a fatal flaw that has plagued the Magpies throughout the season and they surrendered their precious lead in just five minutes.

And a defence that has looked so solid in recent games completely collapsed.

They could have lost by more in the end, had the exposed Hoult not pulled off two great saves to deny Omar Daley and Peter Thorne.

Jarvis had taken his goal brilliantly, drilling the ball low past Scott Loach on the edge of the penalty area when it fell to him.

It looked like leading scorer Richard Butcher might break the deadlock with a burst into the box, but when he was tackled Jarvis showed outstanding opportunism to put Notts ahead.

The celebrations were jubilant but ultimately short-lived as Thorne, who struck a hat-trick against the Magpies at Valley Parade, led the fight-back.

The striker had far too much time and space inside the penalty area to fire past Hoult and level the game. It was poor defending from Notts - and not for the last time in the game.

There was a touch of misfortune in the second goal Notts conceded as an attempted clearance from winger Ali Gibb ricocheted in the penalty area and Joe Colbeck, who was the visitors' chief threat, pounced on the loose ball and side-footed past Hoult.

But there was nothing unfortunate about the third goal as Daley and substitute Alex Rhodes combined brilliantly on the left to beat Lee Canoville - and Rhodes charged into the box unchallenged to rifle past Hoult from close-range.

It was poor defending - leaving the Magpies and the crowd shell-shocked. It also left the club deeper in a relegation battle in League Two.

Hoult, who only arrived at Meadow Lane a couple of hours before kick-off following his emergency loan move from Stoke City in the wake of injury to Kevin Pilkington, had no chance with all three goals.

It was a game of few chances in the first half.

Hoult was called into memorable action to deny Willy Topp, who had been sent clear by Colbeck, in the opening stages.

And he was called into action for a second, more testing time, minutes later when Eddie Johnson unleashed a powerful effort from the edge of the penalty area after Jay Smith had charged down a free-kick and the ball fell to his feet.

It was the Magpies who looked most dangerous and nearly broke the deadlock on the counter-attack when Gibb whipped in a dangerous cross from the right but Smith put the ball just past Loach's left-hand upright.

Winger Myles Weston tormented Bantams right-back Ben Starosta with his pace and trickery but none of his crosses were converted and it was the visitors went close to taking the lead on 26 minutes when Colbeck carved Notts open with a burst forward.

He slid the ball to Topp, in behind the Magpies' rearguard, but he blazed the ball over the crossbar.

Notts threatened again in the dying embers of the first half, again on a swift counter-attack.

Weston led the break before giving the ball to Jarvis, who cushioned the ball back to Smith. He kept the sweeping move going with a pass to Gibb on the right but his cross was blocked away for a corner. It was a move that brought the crowd to the edge of their seats, but not the breakthrough Notts craved.

They started the second half brightly and Smith came so close to putting the Magpies ahead on 48 minutes when he curled the ball at goal from the left edge of the penalty area, but Loach parried acrobatically.

They deservedly took the lead through Jarvis just before the hour mark

But some uncharacteristic kamikaze defending cost them so dearly in the end.

They went forward in an attempt to salvage something from the game in the dying stages and defender Paul Mayo and substitute Spencer Weir-Daley were both denied by an extraordinary double save from Loach.

But it also left gaps at the back for the Bantams to exploit. And they did that brilliantly. Twice they threatened to make the defeat more emphatic but Hoult stood tall to deny them.

Notts need to do the same to avoid a disastrous drop into the oblivion of non-league football.

Bradford Telegraph & Argus Report By Simon Parker

City fired three goals in 13 second-half minutes to clinch their second league double and leave Meadow Lane stunned.

Notts County, scrambling to pull themselves clear from the drop zone, must have thought they were on the way to three more crucial points after taking the lead just before the hour.

David Wetherall, given a rousing reception before the game by the travelling fans, had made a vital block to deny Richard Butcher in the box. But the ball broke kindly for Ryan Jarvis to beat Scott Loach at the near post.

But the goal stirred City dramatically into life and within three minutes they were level.

A long pass from debutant TJ Moncur, playing in place of ankle victim Matt Clarke, picked out Peter Thorne who did the rest with a thumping finish for his tenth goal of the campaign.

Suddenly the game was turned on its head with City pouring forward.

Omar Daley caused panic with his deep cross from the left, City kept the pressure on through substitute Alex Rhodes and Joe Colbeck slammed home from 12 yards.

And City made it 3-1 with 16 minutes left as Rhodes broke, exchanged passes with Daley, and then coolly slotted the ball past on-loan goalkeeper Russell Hoult.

The 35-year-old, borrowed from Stoke yesterday, prevented further embarrassment by turning away a rasping effort from Daley and then smothering the ball at the feet of Thorne as City hunted for more.

It was an encouraging return to form after the two recent home defeats and City ran out comfortable winners.

The second 45 minutes were a complete contrast to the first, though Willy Topp twice had the chance to break his scoring duck.

His first effort after being slipped through by Colbeck lacked the power to trouble County's on-loan keeper Russell Hoult.

But he should have opened his account after 24 minutes. Colbeck, recalled in place of Kyle Nix, was again the provider with a storming run through the middle before picking out the Chilean on his own at the edge of the box.

It looked the perfect chance for Topp but he could not keep his effort down and the shot flew over the bar.

Notts County forced six corners in the opening 45 minutes but had little to show for them, other than a Jay Smith shot which slid past the post.