Away Blues Continue
Notts County suffered another defeat away from home, losing 3-1 against Cambridge United at the Abbey Stadium.
The Magpies had taken the lead in the first half through Adam Campbell, who finished clinically following a goalmouth scramble but an early penalty in the second half changed the game and Notts never recovered.
Alan Smith fouled Ben Williamson, allowing Barry Corr to equalise before Williamson got on the scoresheet himself, blocking a clearance from Roy Carroll which bounced fortuitously into the net.
Luke Berry rounded off the scoring late on to leave County without an away win in the league since the opening day at Stevenage.
Ricardo Moniz made two changes to the side that beat Barnet 4-2 at Meadow Lane in midweek with Stanley Aborah and Jon Stead both missing the game through injury, meaning Liam Noble and Genaro Snijders came into the team.
Cambridge, led by former Notts manager Shaun Derry, named Jeff Hughes, once of the Magpies on the bench alongside top goalscorer Corr.
With the wind swirling around the Abbey Stadium, Noble ambitiously tried to catch Sam Beasant out with a shot from kick-off which was caught by the goalkeeper.
On three minutes Graham Burke was slipped in to find himself one-on-one with Beasant but smashed the ball against the bar from close-range. Thankfully, the offside flag had been raised to spare his blushes.
Campbell, on the back of two assists in Tuesday's victory, tried to register another with a lobbed ball over the defence for Izale McLeod to run on to but the striker was beaten to it by the goalkeeper.
The striker then put a first time effort from 25 yards over the stand following a weak kick by Beasant as Notts looked the more likely to open the scoring in the opening quarter of an hour.
And open the scoring they did. Noble's corner fell to McLeod, who smashed a shot against the post and the ensuing 15-second scramble inside the area ended with Campbell slotting into the bottom corner for his second goal of the season.
The hosts looked to hit back immediately and Sheehan was forced to clear a Harrison Dunk cross from the six-yard box with Williamson lurking behind the defender. From the corner, Roy Carroll clawed a header from Berry around the post.
Notts kept the pressure on, playing on the front foot and were close to adding a second when McLeod clipped a shot wide of the target from Burke's low cross.
Thierry Audel almost got on the end of an inswinging Burke free-kick and Elliott Hewitt picked up the game's first booking for clipping Dunk as the winger looked to race away from the full-back.
Leon Legge followed Hewitt into the book for a foul on McLeod before the break as Notts held a 1-0 lead at the interval.
In need of a goal, Cambridge brought on Corr at the start of the second half for Jordan Jones as the hosts tried to pose more of a threat going forward.
They were straight on the offensive and were given a penalty within five minutes as Smith felled Williamson in the area and referee Charles Breakspear pointed to the spot. Corr took responsibility for the kick and hammered it into the top corner to bring the U's level.
Derry's team were in the ascendancy - Greg Taylor fired into the side-netting and Berry lashed over the bar from 20 yards so Moniz sent Ronan Murray on for Snijders after an hour.
Shortly afterwards, McLeod was denied a penalty following a collision with Legge as the attacker raced towards goal.
The always lively Campbell beat Berry on the left and whipped the ball across the face of goal with no Notts player gambling on the delivery. Burke then crossed for the former Newcastle man to slam the ball against Cameron Gayle at the near post, the defender a yard away from putting through his own net.
Campbell was involved again, racing down the wing and pulling the ball back for Noble, whose shot was blocked by Mark Roberts. The Notts goalscorer cut in from the left and curled wide on his right foot from 20 yards a minute later.
The hosts took the lead with just over 10 minutes remaining in bizarre circumstances. Carroll's clearance cannoned off Williamson and crept over the line with Notts' protestations for a free-kick falling on deaf ears.
A one-goal advantage quickly became a two-goal advantage. Cambridge broke quickly from a blocked Hewitt cross and Williamson slipped Berry in to prod into the bottom corner and ensure it wold be another miserable away day for the Magpies.
Notts: Carroll; Hewitt, Edwards, Sheehan, Audel; Smith, Noble; Snijders (Murray,61), Burke, Campbell; McLeod (Bishop, 89).
Subs not used: Loach, Sprockel, Hollis, Milsom, Valencic.
Away attendance: 532