Notts County 0-0 Stoke City
Attendance: 2,125

A determined Notts County side impressed a home audience this evening. They attained a hard fought 0-0 draw with Premier League Stoke City.

Notts looked sharp from the opening, evidently wary of the threat posed by their top-flight opponents. Nothing looked to give as both sides fought for every ball.

The first clear chance of the game fell to Lee Hughes following a trademark delivery from Ben Davies. From the free-kick, Hughes escaped his marker and nodded narrowly past the foot of the post.

Moments later Craig Westcarr found space on the edge of the box from a rebound. His rasping effort skimmed narrowly past the post from 18-yards out.

Trialist Kevin Smith started the match and was evidently eager to impress. He was working hard and tested Asmir Begovic when he turned and shot from the edge of the area.

Matt Etherington was the creator of Stoke's first worthwhile attempt. From the left, his teasing centre was glanced across the face of goal by Tuncay Sanli.

Mama Sidibe should have put the visitors ahead before the break after a delightful, lobbed delivery from the left by Liam Lawrence. He met the ball from inside the six-yard box but could only direct over an empty target.

At the other end, Davies almost nicked one for Notts, too. Westcarr fired in a quick, low cross that Davies met with a diving header, only for Begovic to gather down to his left.

But the best chance of the opening 45 minutes came from Tuncay in a magic moment. Skipping past two defenders he struck against the underside of the bar.

The dying stages of the half were certainly the liveliest. A tidy move involving Davies and Smith resulted in Stephen Hunt's sliding drive being deflected away by the goalkeeper.

At the interval Craig Short made a number of changes. Stuart Nelson, trialist Rhema Obed, Jon Harley, Ben Burgess and John Spicer came on in the place of Rob Burch, John Thompson, Davies, Hughes and Ricky Ravenhill.

With multiple switches from both teams, the game appeared disrupted. The next 26 minutes saw as good as nothing in terms of goalmouth action.

At that point, however, City brought the game back to life when Ricardo Fuller threaded in substitute James Beattie. Holding off his marker, he shot powerfully but the outstretched arm of Nelson made contact to touch the ball over the bar.

Beattie made space again down the right less than a minute later. Steadying himself, he fired into the side netting, never worrying Nelson.

The former Everton and Blackburn man looked to be the one that could make the difference in the game. He almost managed to get a touch onto a back post cross and had another strike deflected wide.

Notts worked hard in the second period but Stoke maintained most of the possession. Defensively, it was a test for County, but they handled numerous threats admirably and deserved an encouraging result.

Notts County: Burch, Thompson, Hunt, Edwards, Lee, Bishop, Westcarr, Ravenhill, Hughes, Davies, Smith.

Subs From: Nelson, Burgess, Obed, Gillespie, Hawley, Spicer, Harley, Marshall.

Stoke City: Begovic, Huth, Collins, Whealan, Shawcross, Higginbotham, Lawrence, Delap, Sidibe, Tuncay, Etherington.

Subs From: Sorensen, Whitehead, Pugh, Tonge, Wilkinson, Fuller, Beattie.