Notts County travel to Carlisle United this weekend looking to get back to winning ways in Sky Bet League Two.
The Magpies were beaten 2-0 at Crewe in midweek as Luton Town leapfrogged them to claim top spot and manager Kevin Nolan is hoping for an improved performance after an inconsistent couple of weeks.
Carlisle, meanwhile, were left deflated on Tuesday evening as a last-minute equaliser denied them victory at home to Wycombe Wanderers.
It would have been a welcome three points as the Cumbrians are without a league win at Brunton Park since they beat Cheltenham Town 3-0 on 19 August.
But former Notts boss Keith Curle will still harbour greater ambitions than reaching the play-offs for their second successive season.
Notts manager Kevin Nolan says...
"You can't go away from home and expect to be given anything cheaply. You have to earn it.
"We can't worry about anyone else. We need to strip everything back and make sure we are ready for Carlisle, which will be another tough game; they are a good footballing outfit."
Click here for more from the manager.
Carlisle boss Keith Curle says...
“Notts County are one of the division’s good sides and I’ve played against Kevin Nolan a few times. He likes to play a certain way. We’ve reviewed their last three or four games and their approach is based on percentages.
“They like to get the ball forward, keep it alive and get it into good areas quickly. They’re a real threat in the box and they’re reliable, consistent and dependable in what they do.
"They’re very inventive with set pieces and they’re comfortable in their style. We know what to expect so it’s now down to how we deal with it.
“They’ll be full of confidence even though they were knocked slightly with the result at Crewe the other night.
"If you isolate that result you see they made a few changes and other players had opportunities to shine. That probably means that their line-up will have a bit more in the way of predictability about it on Saturday.”
Team news
Goalkeeper Adam Collin will miss out against his former club after injuring his knee during Saturday's 2-1 win over Barnet, with the knock set to keep him sidelined for longer than first thought.
Defender Danny Grainger and striker Richie Bennett both return from suspension for Carlisle, while striker Shaun Miller could be banned after becoming the first player to be charged by the FA in relation to simulation laws introduced over the summer. United have appealed the decision.
Dangerman
Reggie Lambe is the top scorer for the Blues so far this season with six goals in 15 games from the wing.
The former Mansfield man struck a brace in the 3-3 draw with Wycombe in midweek to close within two strikes of his tally for 2016-17.
The Bermudan international is scoring at a rate of a goal almost every four games for the Cumbrians and has proved a worthwhile signing since making the move from the One Call Stadium in the summer of 2016.
We've met before
Carlisle have won four of the last six meetings between the sides but it was Notts who won the most recent outing as goals from Jon Stead and Matt Tootle secured a comeback victory at Brunton Park in April.
Notts also hold a superior record in the head-to-head standings with 17 victories to Carlisle's 12 in the 32 previous matches.
What are the odds?
Sky Bet have priced Notts up as 9/5 outsiders for victory, while Carlisle are 6/4 to get a first home win since 19 August. The draw is available at 23/10.
Notts' last win at Carlisle was a 2-1 win in April and a repeat result is 9/1 this time around, with a tight 1-0 victory available at 8/1.
Fancy Notts to win and keep a sixth clean sheet? It's 4/1 for Nolan's men to win to-nil and the same odds for both teams scoring with the three points coming back to Nottingham.
After sitting out the defeat at Crewe in midweek, Shaun Brisley could be restored to the heart of the defence against his former club. The central defender is 40/1 to open the scoring at Brunton Park or 12/1 to find the net at any time.
Shola Ameobi opened his account for the season with the first goal of the game against Barnet last weekend and the former Newcastle striker can be backed at 13/2 to repeat the feat against the Cumbrians.
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