Notts County 2-1 Cardiff City
(Hughes 28, 43; McCormack 61)
Attendance: 2,490
Notts County overcame Championship Cardiff City at Meadow Lane this afternoon. It was the second encouraging result in three days that left fans feeling optimistic about the new season.
Inside two minutes Notts pushed forward and earned a corner. Ben Davies' ball, whipped in with pace, was met by the head of Ben Burgess but he couldn't direct on target.
Centre-halves Mike Edwards and Liam Chilvers were not looking troubled by the attacking threat of their Championship opponents. This forced Michael Chopra to drop deep in search of possession.
It appeared to pay off as he grew into the game. Twice he struck from distance but Stuart Nelson was never worried.
It was Notts that looked the more dangerous of the two sides and they had another chance to go ahead through Burgess. Great determination from Spicer led to Hughes delivering from the wing but Burgess' header across the face of goal wasn't given the final touch it so desperately needed.
Burgess' next pass did provide a goal, after visiting stopper David Marshall's mishit goal kick fell at his feet. Driving forward, he played across the face of goal for Lee Hughes to slot home his first goal of pre-season.
Only winger Chris Burke produced an effort of note after the goal for City, firing over from distance. Notts continued to look the sharper team into the closing stages it paid dividends once more.
Ricky Ravenhill intercepted a pass with a sliding tackle inside the Cardiff half, setting his team up for a quick counter attack. Burgess collected and threaded in Jon Harley, who produced a superb low cross that allowed Hughes to tuck away his second of the afternoon.
Fans got a look at Krystian Pearce, who is expected to sign on Monday, after the break, replacing Mike Edwards, and Craig Westcarr came on in place of Stephen Hunt. This saw Jon Harley move to left-back, with Westcarr taking up a place on the right flank.
Westcarr gave Hughes a chance to attain a hat-trick early on with a fine cross. Hughes' improvised overhead kick trickled wide of the post.
Hughes created the next opening for Notts, swinging in a floated cross from the right. Burgess climbed high above his marker to power a header narrowly over the bar.
Cardiff were next on the scoresheet through Ross McCormack - out of nowhere. Collecting the ball on the edge of the area, he struck, wrong footing Nelson, whose view was blocked by his backline.
More switches were made and one of the introductions, Karl Hawley, almost found the net. A swift move down the left saw Harley deliver another superb, low centre, which Hawley couldn't fully connect with.
The visitors almost levelled on two further occasions. First up was Peter Whittingham's free-kick that cleared the bar from 25-yards.
Chopra's opening was surely the finest, following a misplaced pass by John Thompson. He was clear through and slotted past Nelson, however, Pearce had tracked back well to clear off the line.
Notts County: Nelson, Thompson, Hunt, Edwards, Ravenhill, Hughes, Burgess, Davies, Spicer, Harley, Chilvers.
Subs From: Burch, Lee, Bishop, Westcarr, Obed, Gillespie, Hawley, Pearce.
Cardiff City: Marshall, McNaughton, Gypes, Whittingham, Chopra, McPhail, Burke, Gerrard, Drinkwater, Blake, McCormack.
Subs From: Heaton, Rae, Hudson, Jarvis, Quinn, Farah, Matthews, Meades.
