Notts County Football Club

A debut goal from Caolan Lavery saw Notts County defeated 1-0 to Chesterfield at Meadow Lane.

Notts had the better of the first half, Balint Bajner having a number of chances to give the Magpies the lead, whilst Curtis Thompson also came close, his shot at the near post saved by Tommy Lee.

Meanwhile, Sam Clucas came close for the visitors, Roy Carroll palming the ball away.

The visitors took the lead midway through the second half, Caolan Lavery put pressure on Haydn Hollis and as he went to clear, the ball deflected off the striker, over Carroll and into the back of the net. 

Notts searched for that equaliser, but couldn’t get it, Hayden Mullins came closest from a corner.

Magpies’ manager Shaun Derry made two changes to the side that lost 3-0 to Oldham Athletic last week. Back into the side were Blair Adams and Alan Smith. Blair Adams came back into the side after being an unused against Oldham; he replaced Jordan Cranston in the left-back position.  Alan Smith was also back in the side, he took the place of Garry Thompson, who started the game from the bench. 

Bolton loanee Kaiyne Woolery kept his place in the starting eleven after an impressive debut against Oldham. The young forward showed plenty of determination and pace, enough to keep him in the first eleven. 

Hayden White was back amongst the substitutes after missing out on the squad for Oldham.

Notts started the better of the two sides. Good pressure from the forward line forced the Chesterfield defence into a mistake. Balint Bajner showed good control before earning his side a throw in. From that throw in, Mustapha Dumbuya put a dangerous cross in, just inches over the head of Bajner who was in space inside the opposition box. 

Down the other end, Chesterfield’s deadline day signing Caolan Lavery fired a dangerous cross across goal, Armand Gnanduillet was waiting at the back post, the ball was just out of his reach as he darted in round the back of the Notts defence. 

The game had a lively start, Chesterfield nearly took the lead through Sam Clucas, as he took a touch in the area and hit his shot, but it was straight at Roy Carroll, who palmed it away before Dumbuya cleared. Notts were then on the counter attack as Bajner brought the ball down, took on the Chesterfield defence and unleashed a left footed shot from the edge of the area, his effort going narrowly wide of goal.

Bajner had a very good start to the game and was only inches away from taking the lead. Will Hayhurst loft a cross in from the left; Bajner won the initial header and held onto the ball. His shot was low, but Tommy Lee saved well, the rebound again fell to the Hungarian striker, but he dragged his shot wide from inside the six-yard box.

It was all Notts at this point as Dumbuya played Curtis Thompson in on the right, he ran along the by-line with a number of options in the area. He decided to go for goal himself, Tommy Lee saving his shot at the near post.

It was end to end in the opening 20 minutes, Jay O’Shea found Sam Clucas on the right, he cut inside and went for the far post, but Carroll saved, tipping it wide. From the corner, Gnanduillet rose above everyone else, but his header went wide.

Notts were nearly in on 32 minutes, Hayhurst challenged the Chesterfield back line, the ball fell for Bajner who hit it first time on the volley, his effort deflected into the path of an on running Liam Noble, whose effort was quickly pounced upon by Tommy Lee.

Chesterfield were very close to taking the lead themselves. A freekick floated in at the back post for Gnanduillet who headed it back across goal. Clucas got to the ball and guided it towards goal. Liam Noble was on the line to get the ball clear.

The first chance of the second half fell to the visitors with Jay O’Shea. He received the ball inside the box, switched the ball onto this left foot, and blazed his effort high over the bar. 

A cross from the left from Blair Adam was headed high in the air by Chesterfield, but fell to Bajner on the edge of the box, he hit it on the volley, his shot was goal bound but deflected wide for a corner. 

The game was full of chances and Gnanduillet had another one for the visitors. The ball was floated towards the back post for the striker, but he headed over from close range despite having a free header.

With 66 minutes on the clock, Chesterfield took the lead. The ball was with Hadyn Hollis on the edge of the area, he was under all sorts of pressure from Lavery. As Hollis went to clear, it rebounded of the striker, floated over Roy Carroll and into the back of the net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Good work from Notts down the left earned them a corner as Dumbuya and Kaiyne Woolery combined well. The corner was put in, Hayden Mullins looked to have got there, but it was deflected behind for another corner. Nothing came of the next set piece as Chesterfield cleared.

Notts made changes with Garry Thompson and Kwame Thomas coming on to find an equaliser in the final ten minutes. Jay O’Shea had a freekick 25 yards out, but it flew over Roy Carroll’s goal.

Notts continued to pump the ball forward as they searched for a late equaliser. The Chesterfield defence were staying strong to ensure the Magpies couldn’t break through. 

Chesterfield also had eyes on second to give relieve the pressure, but the Notts defence too held off the pressure from the play-off hopefuls.

A quick flowing move put the Magpies in a good position on the right, Woolery the player on the ball. He looked up and went for goal himself, blazing the ball high over the bar. 

That was the final chance of the match, with Chesterfield holding onto all three points.

Notts County: Carroll, Dumbuya, Adams, Smith (Jones, 65), Mullins ©, Hollis, Hayhurst, C Thompson, Noble (Thomas, 76), Woolery, Bajner (G Thompson, 73)

Substitutes: Pilkington, G Thompson, Thomas, Jones, White, Daniels, Edwards

Chesterfield: Lee, Darikwa, Jones, Hird, Morsy, Ryan, Gnanduillet (Dieseruvwe, 85), O'Shea, Clucas, Lavery (Harrison, 70), Evatt © 

Subsitutes: Chapman, Humphreys, Raglan, Duffy, Harrison, Banks, Dieseruvwe