NOTTS County won their third game in a row at Hereford United in League Two today.

Craig Westcarr scored his sixth goal of the season to put them into a 1-0 half-time lead at Edgar Street and Mike Edwards made it 2-0 early in the second half.

The Magpies went close to breaking the deadlock after only eight minutes when Luke Rodgers threaded a pass in between two defenders for Jamie Clapham to race onto inside the penalty area.

Clapham lifted a cross to Westcarr, who fired at goal from eight yards. But the Bulls' keeper Adam Bartlett made a great save, parrying his effort away low down to his left.

Lee Hughes pounced on the rebound but was flagged offside as he shot straight at Bartlett.

Clapham made another purposeful burst forward minutes later but he was tackled as he tried to cut inside into the penalty area and the home side cleared.

Notts were enjoying plenty of possession but Hereford were proving hard to break down.

The Magpies looked threatening on 18 minutes when Rodgers flicked Clapham's cross to Hughes, inside the box. Hughes back-heeled it to Westcarr and he tried to thread it through for Rodgers who had ran into the box but the home side scrambled it clear.

Ben Davies then tested Bartlett with a powerful long-range strike before the Bulls were awarded a penalty on 20 minutes when Kasper Schmeichel clattered into Marc Pugh as he came racing off his goal-line to punch a long ball into the box clear.

The Magpies' No.1 avoided a red card and then saved Ryan Valentine's spot-kick brilliantly, diving full-stretch to his right to parry it away and keep the score 0-0.

Notts went 1-0 ahead on 31 minutes through Westcarr.

It was a well-worked goal as Graeme Lee floated a cross into the box that the Magpies' winger flicked to Hughes. He chested the ball forward into the six-yard box and Westcarr applied the finish from close-range.

Hughes then almost seized onto a poor back-pass from Ryan Green minutes later but Bartlett just beat him to the ball and made a hurried clearance.

The home crowd thought Hereford were level in the closing minutes of the first half when Edwards inadvertently headed past Schmeichel but Mathieu Manset, the player who was challenging the Notts' centre-back in the air to win a cross, was offside, and so Hans Backe's side still led at the break.

Notts went route-one in search of a second goal early in the second half when Schmeichel launched a goal-kick deep into the Hereford half. Hughes beat his marker to the ball but could not direct it at goal.

It mattered little because the Magpies were 2-0 up two minutes later when Mike Edwards got on the end of Davies' free-kick into the box and beat Bartlett from close-range.

Neal Bishop then curled narrowly wide from the edge of the box and Hughes tested Bartlett with a powerful low effort. Edwards was denied by Bartlett minutes later after rising well in the box to meet Davies' corner with a downward header.

Schmeichel was called into action on 64 minutes when Pugh broke into the box. The young Dane did well and smothered the ball at the striker's feet.

Notts were quickly back on the attack and Clapham forced Bartlett into a good save with a curling free-kick.

Two ahead, the Magpies were comfortable and in control. Without creating any clear-cut chances to add to their lead, they dominated possession.

Without the ball, they were outstandingly organised and easily kept the home side at bay, though substitute Leon Constantine volleyed narrowly wide of Schmeichel's right-hand post in the closing stages.

Still, Notts claimed a vital victory with ease in the end.

NOTTS: Schmeichel, Moloney, Lee, Edwards, Clapham, Westcarr (Hamshaw, 84), Ravenhill, Bishop, Davies, Hughes, Rodgers (Hawley, 65). Subs: Hoult, Jones, Ritchie, Canham, Akinbiyi.

HEREFORD: Bartlett, Green (Rose, 46), Jones, Blanchett, Lowe (Done, 68), Mutch, Wedderburn, Valentine, Pugh, Manset, King (Constantine, 68). Subs: Lunt, Gwynne, McCallum, Adamson.

ATTENDANCE: 2,727 (454 away).