Preview: Mansfield Town (A)

Notts travel to Stags for hotly-anticipated local derby

29 September 2017

Notts County travel to Mansfield Town on Saturday lunchtime for a local derby looking to round off a perfect month.

The Magpies have won all six of their league outings in September, conceding just once, to move to the top of the Sky Bet League Two table.

A 3-0 win at Exeter City on Tuesday night means Kevin Nolan's side will come into the match full of confidence but the manager is keen to ensure his side remain grounded despite their excellent start to 2017-18.

The Stags, meanwhile, saw their six-game unbeaten run in the league come to a shuddering halt with a 3-0 defeat to Cheltenham Town at the LCI Rail Stadium, where manager Steve Evans was sent to the stands.

They currently occupy ninth in the standings but sit just four points adrift of the automatic promotion places.

And Evans will be determined to come out on top to secure bragging rights for those of a yellow and blue persuasion.

Notts manager Kevin Nolan says...

"We're going to a really good Mansfield side who will want to respond after their defeat in midweek.

"Preparation remains the same. We want to nullify their strengths and take advantage of their weaknesses."

Click here for more from the manager.

Mansfield boss Steve Evans says...

"This is the real test, this is the real benchmark. This is the league leaders who have gone around the country turning win, after win, after win in the opening weeks, so it's a big test for us.

"Congratulations to Kevin Nolan; what a job he's done. He's added very selectively to the group and he inherited a good squad, it has to be said."

Team news

Nolan reported a bill of health with one name on it - Dan Jones is likely to miss out with a hamstring problem but should return to full training next week.

Shola Ameobi has recovered from his injury to participate in training and the striker is back in the manager's thinking for the short journey.

Mansfield are missing defender Zander Diamond and midfielder Joel Byrom to groin and foot injuries respectively but Evans is hopeful former Notts loanee Hayden White will be available.

Dangerman

Danny Rose has become a reliable goal-getter for Mansfield under the management of Steve Evans.

The striker has scored twice in his past three league games - both goals earning victory for the Stags - to double his tally for the season after scoring 10 times in 2016-17, nine of which came after Evans took charge at the One Call Stadium.

The 23-year-old joined from Bury in the summer of 2016 after scoring 19 goals in 81 for the Shakers.

We've met before...

Notts currently hold superiority in the head-to-head stakes despite not beating the Stags in the league since August 2003, when Glynn Hurst's brace and a goal from Mike Edwards secured a 3-2 victory.

Last season's home match against Mansfield was Kevin Nolan's first game in charge of Notts, finishing goalless to end the Magpies' run of 10 successive league defeats.

What are the odds?

Could Nolan be the one to end the barren spell against the Stags?

Sky Bet have priced Notts up as 5/2 outsiders for victory, while Mansfield are 11/10 to get back to winning ways and push themselves back in to the top seven. The draw is available at 12/5.

Notts come into this game on the back of a 3-0 win at Exeter and a repeat result is available at 40/1, while a 2-1 win can be backed at 11/1.

Fancy Notts to win and keep a sixth clean sheet this month? It's 11/2 for Nolan's men to win to-nil or 6/1 for both teams scoring with the three points coming back to Nottingham.

Five of Notts' eight league wins have been by more than one goal, which makes the -1 handicap look a tempting price at 13/2.

Jorge Grant (above) came off the bench to score twice at St James Park, taking his tally for the season to eight goals. The creative midfielder is 33/1 to score another brace or 10/1 to open the scoring.

Lewis Alessandra was the man to get the ball rolling in Devon with his second-minute lob setting Notts on the path to victory. He is 15/2 to be the first name on the scoresheet again this weekend.

You can bet on the game here. Supporters who sign up to Sky Bet using this link can help the club financially.

Match Reports

Report: Mansfield 3-1 Notts

Second-half goals inflict derby defeat

30 September 2017

Notts County were beaten 3-1 by Mansfield Town at the One Call Stadium.

Each goal came after a cagey first half ended goalless, Danny Rose striking twice before Richard Duffy put through his own net.

Carl Dickinson curled home a consolation goal with a stoppage-time free-kick but it wasn't enough to prevent Notts' brilliant run coming to an end.

Kevin Nolan made four changes to the side that beat Exeter 3-0 on Tuesday night.

Matt Tootle, Shaun Brisley, Jorge Grant and Jonathan Forte came in for the bench-bound Nicky Hunt, Elliott Hewitt, Liam Walker and Terry Hawkridge.

The first chance of the game went to the hosts on six minutes when a lofted free-kick into the area was nodded into the path of Rose three yards out. He couldn't deal with the bouncing ball, however, and it went wide.

Notts responded with a Jorge Grant effort which was deflected on to the roof of the net by a Stags defender.

It was proving to be a cagey start from both sides but Notts had an opportunity to break the tension when Grant won a free-kick on the edge of the area. He went low with his strike, seeing the ball toe-poked over the bar by a Mansfield man.

The Stags then had a dangerous set piece of their own, Alex MacDonald bending the ball towards the top corner only to see it tipped over by Adam Collin.

Mansfield had another opportunity moments later, Kane Hemmings latching on to a looping ball over the top before deciding to take his shot on the volley, slicing the ball high and wide from the edge of the area.

Rapturous applause rang around the One Call Stadium when the clock hit 25 minutes as both sets of fans paid tribute to Matt Salmon, the former Mansfield physio who passed away earlier this year.

And the Stags should have capped the tribute with the opening goal when Hemmings was picked out from the left before volleying over from close range.

Steve Evans was forced into an early change when the injured Alfie Potter was replaced by Omari Sterling-James with just over half an hour on the clock.

As half-time neared, Dickinson played a lovely ball down the left for Grant, who took an excellent first touch and got round his defender as he cut into the area. He played a square ball to Alessandra 12 yards out but, rushed into his shot by two nearby defenders, the wide man could only fire over from 12 yards.

There were no changes for either side at the break but, within two minutes of the restart, the Stags altered the scoreline in their favour.

Duffy was unable to get enough power on his header back to Collin and, with the keeper stranded, Rose lobbed the ball into the empty net.

Notts came agonisingly close to an equaliser on 53 minutes when, following an almighty scramble in the Stags' six-yard box, Forte saw his goalbound effort blocked by a well-placed home defender.

But the next goal was to come at the other end just before the hour. Sterling-James' cross from the right was headed towards the bottom corner by Hemmings. Collin made a brilliant save to keep the ball out but Rose was first on the scene to score from point-blank range.

It got worse for the Magpies shortly afterwards when, after the ball was fizzed low across the face of Notts' goal, Duffy could only turn it into his own net.

Three Magpies subs followed, with Shola Ameobi, Hewitt and Hawkridge replacing Forte, Duffy and Alessandra.

Krystian Pearce headed the ball over from a corner as the hosts looked to put the game beyond any remaining doubt.

MacDonald curled the ball wide of the far post shortly before four added minutes were indicated at the end of the match.

That proved to be sufficient time for Dickinson to beat Conrad Logan with a long-range free-kick, keeping Notts' slender hopes alive.

But, seconds after Brisley rattled the crossbar with a header, the referee called time on proceedings as the match ended 3-1 to the hosts.

Match Reports

Ticket News

Mansfield tickets sold out

27 September 2017

Tickets for Notts County's Sky Bet League Two trip to Mansfield Town have sold out.

Notts' full allocation of 1,675 has been sold and no further sales will be available for this strictly all-ticket fixture.

Any supporter without a ticket should not travel to the One Call Stadium.

Information for visiting supporters

Click here for detailed information for visiting supporters, obtained by Notts' SLO team.

Disabled supporters

In line with Mansfield's policy, tickets for supporters with a disability and their personal assistants are available to those who receive the higher rate of disability living allowance, with evidence required at the time of purchase and on the day.

Ambulant disabled supporters should obtain tickets in advance from Notts County. They are priced at the appropriate age-related rate for the disabled supporter and free of charge for the personal assistant. Ambulant disabled supporters will be allocated tickets from the main allocation.

Wheelchair disabled supporters are required to purchase tickets in advance. They are priced at the appropriate age-related rate for the disabled supporter and free of charge for the personal assistant. Seven pairs of wheelchair and carer tickets are available to away supporters.

Official away travel

Official away travel will depart from near the club shop on Meadow Lane at 11am.

Prices are as follows:

General adult/senior: £12
General under 18: £10
Season ticket holders/Lifeline members/NCFCOSA members: £11
Season ticket holder under 18: £9

Notts County Football Club

Standings

Preview: Mansfield Town (A)

Report: Mansfield 3-1 Notts

Mansfield tickets sold out