A Jim O'Brien hat-trick handed us a third consecutive victory on a memorable evening in Maidenhead.

In a match where the margin of victory could have been far greater, O'Brien gave our blistering start the goal it deserved when his lung-busting run into the box was matched by a superb ball over the top from Michael Doyle. The Scot controlled it brilliantly, saw his initial shot saved and stooped to nod home the rebound.

Moments into the second half, the hosts' keeper Rhys Lovett, who had taken two big knocks from Ruben Rodrigues and had collided with the post when making a superb save from the Portuguese, signaled to his bench that he was unable to continue. With no replacement among the substitutes, central midfielder James Comley took his place between the sticks.

And he was helpless to prevent O'Brien from adding his second - a composed finish after Calvin Miller had caused chaos once again down the left - and then his third with an emphatic penalty after Kyle Wootton had been dragged down in the box.

Ruben Rodrigues added extra sparkle to the scoreline with a blistering breakaway goal which saw him take the ball from the halfway line into the area before applying the finish.

The victory lifts us up to fifth in the Vanarama National League table with four games to play.

Notts starting XI: Slocombe; Chicksen, Rawlinson, Ellis; Miller (Brindley 85'), Kelly-Evans; Doyle (Griffiths 83'), Reeves, O'Brien; Rodrigues (Sam 83'), Wootton

Unused subs: Turner, Boldewijn