Notts County Football Club

Ten man Notts County suffered a 3-0 defeat to Swindon Town at Meadow Lane. 

Two goals from Andy Williams and a goal from Massimo Luongo gave Swindon all three points against the Magpies. 

Notts went down to ten men after Liam Noble was sent off midway through the second half. The referee adjudged him to have fouled Nathan Thompson in the centre circle.

Andy Williams put the away side ahead early on, finishing beyond Carroll after a mistake from Louis Laing. 

The same player then scored again in the second half, firing in at the far post after a powerful, low cross across the face of goal.

Massimo Luongo put the visitors three up moments after the red card. The midfielder waiting in the six yard box to tap in past Roy Carroll. 

Notts did have chances themselves throughout the game, Garry Thompson and Liam Noble going closest for the home side. Thompson’s effort going wide, whilst Liam Noble’s volley was well blocked.

Shaun Derry made four changes to the side that triumphed midweek as the Magpies defeated Doncaster 1-0 at the Keepmoat Stadium, taking them through to the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy area semi- final. The four players coming into the starting line-up were Curtis Thompson, Gary Jones, Garry Thompson and Drissa Traore, replacing Mustapha Dumbuya, Alan Smith, Michael Petrasso and Ryan Hall. 

The game at Meadow Lane saw Drissa Traore make his first league start since joining the club over the summer. The midfielder did come off the bench in the win midweek, but was given a place in the first eleven. Curtis Thompson and Garry Thompson too came off the bench midweek, as they replaced Mustapha Dumbuya and Ryan Hall in the starting line-up. Gary Jones was restored to the first eleven after missing the game midweek, replacing Michael Petrasso who was on the bench.

It was the visitors who got the game underway and didn’t hang about in getting there first shot on goal. 75 seconds into the game, a patient build up from Swindon allowed some space for Massimo Luongo to open up. He tried his luck from distance, but Carroll got behind the shot to deny Swindon an early lead.

Notts didn’t let that affect them and went straight back at Swindon with a well worked attack. Haydn Hollis calmly controlled a long ball from Swindon and played a magnificent through ball for Garry Thompson, who made a brilliant run down the right. Thompson continued his run down the by-line, before lofting a cross towards the back post. Liam Noble was there as he thumped a volley, but it was well blocked and went out for a corner. 

It was a lively start to the game and it was seven minutes in when Swindon opened the scoring. A ball was played for Andy Williams inside the Notts area and a mistake by Louis Laing allowed the space to open up for Williams, who slotted the ball beyond Roy Carroll to give the visitors the lead.

Not buoyed by this, Notts got a chance of their own only minutes later. A flick on from Jake Cassidy fell straight for Stephen McLaughlin. The Forest loanee showed good strength and skill to turn the defender, before being brought down for a free-kick. Liam Noble stood over the free-kick, his shot was on target, but straight at Wes Foderingham. Seconds later and McLaughlin was in behind, he pulled a teasing ball back across goal, but there wasn’t a Notts man there to tap in. 

Massimo Luongo was looking a threat for Swindon early on and nearly gave them a two goal advantage. He received the ball and headed for the by-line. He continued his run and had options in the box, but went for goal himself, his shot going narrowly wide. Seconds later and it was the same man in again, but Blair Adams and Roy Carroll did enough to put the midfielder off as it went out for a corner.

Carroll was forced into another save not long after, Jonathan Obika showed some excellent control to take it past Garry Thompson. Obika’s next touch was a shot towards the near post, but 

Carroll got across well to deny the striker.

Despite Notts holding some good possession for the next period of play, Swindon broke again and should have gone two goals ahead, but brilliant defending denied otherwise. Luongo played Obika through on goal, the striker tapped it past an on rushing Roy Carroll and looked destined to place into an empty net, but Blair Adams got across brilliantly with a sliding block to keep Notts only a goal down.

Despite the good chance, Notts continued down the other end. A long throw was cleared, but only as far as Louis Laing, who hit his shot first time, but it was scuffed into the path of Garry Thompson. Thompson didn’t get chance to take a touch and prodded it towards goal, but there was no power as Foderingham claimed with ease.

This half was end to end, Nathan Byrne getting down the right and pulling the ball back for Ben Gladwin, who hit his shot first time with curve, but it flew wide, right of the goal. There was one last chance for Notts before half time, Gary Jones whipped in a corner onto the head of Hollis whose effort just went wide of the goal. 

HT: Notts County 0 - 1 Swindon Town

Following the restart, it was Notts to attack first, a well swung in cross from Curtis Thompson on the right, headed towards the back post, where Garry Thompson was waiting. Thompson got up well and got his head to the ball, but his header was looping and made it easy for Foderingham to claim. 

Michael Petrasso came on as a substitute for Jake Cassidy and made an immediate impact. Some good skill down the right from the QPR loanee cleared the way for him to pull a ball across goal. Stephen McLaughlin was waiting but brilliant defending denied Notts from equalising. 

Roy Carroll was called into action down the other end. A cross from the left was right on the head of Obika, but Carroll made a great save to deny the striker once again. However, Swindon’s next attack resulted in a goal. Ben Gladwin showed good skill down the left, before crossing low and hard for Andy Williams to tap in at the far post. A good finish from the striker for his 

second of the game.

With 55 minutes on the clock, Notts went down to ten men. Liam Noble went up for a challenge and appeared to have caught Nathan Thompson according to the referee, giving Noble a straight red card.

Luongo, who had caused problems all afternoon for the Magpies, put the visitors 3-0 ahead minutes later. Again down the left, Swindon got in behind and pulled the ball back for Luongo, who was waiting unmarked in the box to power past Carroll and put the visitors three goals ahead.

Further chances fell to Swindon, with substitute Michael Smith coming close, his strike from close range just going wide of the goal. Williams wasn’t far away from his hat-trick either. He was played through into the Notts box one on one with Carroll. Carroll did well to deny the striker. The rebound fell to the path of Luongo, who should have scored, but Carroll did fantastically well to get across and deny the midfielder his second of the game. Another chance fell to Michael Smith, but again Carroll was there to save.

With only minutes to go, Notts did have the chance to pull a goal back, Petrasso played through McLaughlin, who turned and attempted to place the ball over Foderingham, but the keeper saved. Garry Thompson was then played through moments later, but his effort just went wide of the right post. They were to be the last chances of the half as Notts suffered defeat to Swindon.

MAGPIE PLAYER MAN OF THE MATCH| Roy Carroll

Roy Carroll had a lot to do this afternoon against a good side in Swindon. 

The Notts number one made a number of fantastic saves throughout the game to deny the visitors, even when they looked destined to score. The most notable being his double save to deny Williams and Luongo, when the odds were against him. Even when he was rounded, his defence was there to help him out. A good performance from the goalkeeper.

Notts County: Carroll, C Thompson (Harrad, 62), Adams, Hollis ©, Laing, G Jones (Hall, 69), Noble, McLaughlin, G Thompson, Traore, Cassidy (Petrasso, 46).

Substitutes: Pilkington, McKenzie, A Smith, Harrad, Cranston, Petrasso, Hall.

Swindon Town: Foderingham, N Thompson, Byrne ©, Luongo, Stephens, Turnbull, Gladwin, Kasim (Rodgers 81), Williams, L Thompson (Reeves, 62), Obika (Smith 65).

Substitutes: Belford, M Smith, Reeves, M Jones, Bartham, Da Costa, Rodgers.