A close-range Sam Austin finish and an own goal were enough to earn us victory over Chorley in the third round of the ISUZU FA Trophy.
We’d gone behind out of nowhere when Connor Hall’s deft touch beat Brad Young, but our dominance soon told as we went into the break ahead.
The visitors had goalkeeper Matt Urwin to thank for brilliantly keeping his side in the game with several important saves but, in the end, there was to be no comeback from the National League North outfit.
Luke Williams made six changes to the side that beat Gateshead in our previous outing, with John Bostock being handed his first Notts start alongside the returning Jim O’Brien and ever-present Matt Palmer in midfield.
Young was given an opportunity between the sticks, while Geraldo Bajrami was flanked by Kyle Cameron and Richard Brindley in the back three.
Aaron Nemane and Tobi Adebayo-Rowling provided the width, with Austin supporting Cedwyn Scott in attack.
After recently signing a professional contract, young defender Lucien Mahovo was named among the substitutes alongside tenacious 17-year-old, Spanish-born midfielder Madou Cisse who’s been with the club since age 12.
We should probably have been ahead inside the second minute when a free header presented itself to Bajrami eight yards out, only for the defender to send the ball wide.
Palmer sent a 25-yard effort over and Bostock saw a header saved as we dominated the opening exchanges in typical fashion.
We were dealt a shock on 18 minutes, though, as Hall was able to get a faint touch on a cross from the left to guide the ball beyond Young.
And the Chorley man’s eyes lit up at the prospect of a second six minutes later when he slid in to meet a cross from the right this time. He arrived just too late, however, and made contact with Young instead of the ball.
It didn’t take us long to regain control, however, and we had the equaliser on 33 minutes when Austin was first to the loose ball after Scott’s header from Nemane’s cross had been well saved by Urwin.
Moments after the restart, Austin nearly had a second when Adebayo-Rowling, who had just switched wings with Nemane, crossed from the left. Austin headed the ball goalwards but Urwin did well to tip it over.
But, shortly after Nemane had miscued a back-post volley from Cameron’s excellent cross, Austin forced the issue once more as he released Nemane down the right and watched on as the wing back’s dangerous low delivery was bundled into his own net by Scott Leather.
We emerged for the second half unchanged but there was a hairy moment on 50 minutes when Young raced out of his area to contest for a loose ball, fouling his opponent in the process. The referee saw a yellow card as a fitting punishment.
Palmer blazed a close-range shot over the bar before Urwin made two more good saves to keep out headers from Austin and Bostock.
O’Brien and Scott made way for Ed Francis and Kairo Mitchell and, shortly after their introduction, the latter was unlucky to receive a slightly overhit Nemane cross which he could only turn over the bar on the slide.
Adebayo-Rowling really should have forced Urwin into more work when he was played into the area by Bostock, but seemed to lose his balance at the crucial moment and the chance was gone.
Inside four added minutes at the end, Urwin made another superb save to deny Francis a breakaway goal.
It wasn't to matter, though, as we saw out the match's dying embers comfortably.
STARTING XI: Young; Cameron, Bajrami, Brindley; Nemane, Adebayo-Rowling; Palmer, Bostock, O'Brien (Francis 68'), Austin; Scott (Mitchell 70')
UNUSED SUBS: Slocombe, Mahovo, Cisse, Rodrigues, Castro
BOOKINGS: Young 50', Palmer 90'
ATTENDANCE: 2,040 (88)