OPTIMISM is truly outrageous at Meadow Lane these days. The Notts County supporters were singing "We're going to Wembley" when the Magpies led Bradford City 2-0 in the second half last night, before they finally won 2-1.

They have little chance of reaching the FA Cup final. But they are into the second round, with goals from Karl Hawley and Johnnie Jackson inflicting defeat on their League Two opponents.

Hans Backe made his intent clear ahead of the tie. It was twin; to see more of his new players in competitive action in order to assess their quality and to progress in the famous competition. He achieved both.

He certainly sprang a major surprise with his team selection.

Leading scorer Lee Hughes and Graeme Lee were certainly out with ankle injuries, of course. And Backe chose not to take a risk on No.1 keeper Kasper Schmeichel because of a slight knee problem, replacing him with Russell Hoult.

But in all, he made SEVEN changes from the side that started the 1-1 draw against Shrewsbury Town in League Two.

Ade Akinbiyi was notably given his full debut, after three substitute appearances, in a new-look attack alongside Karl Hawley, and Stephen Hunt came into the heart of the Magpies' back-four for Lee.

Club captain John Thompson was named on the substitutes' bench, replaced at right-back by Neal Bishop, who also took the armband.

It took ten minutes for the tie to come to life, maybe because the two teams know each other so well after two previous meetings this season.

First, Matt Ritchie charged down an attempted clearance from Zesh Rehman that rebounded wide and then, more significantly, Notts were claiming fiercely for a penalty minutes later when Rehman blatantly pulled Hawley down as he tried to turn past him inside the six yard box, after seizing onto Akinbiyi's low cross.

Referee Eddie Ilderton waved away their protests, however, before Akinbiyi lifted a cross-cum-shot onto the top of the crossbar.

Notts kept up the pressure on the visitors and Ben Davies sent a powerful low effort narrowly wide of the post from just inside the penalty area on 22 minutes.

Stephen Hunt was then audacious from fully 30 yards but fired wide. Bradford had no reply, none at all.

Their right winger Scott Neilson showed a flash of skill just before the half-hour mark as he cut inside and beat two players on the edge of the Magpies' penalty area before being tackled, but it was hardly a threatening moment.

They did threaten for the first time on 34 minutes when Gareth Evans was sent racing through on goal.

Using his pace, he accelerated away from his marker and drove powerfully at goal. Hoult pulled off a great save to deny him, diving to his left and parrying it away strongly at the expense of a corner. It could have been worse.

Notts ended the first half on top. In fact, Johnnie Jackson should have scored but the midfielder chose to pass to Hawley instead of taking a shot himself, after breaking purposefully into the box. He over-hit the pass too, but Hawley kept the attack alive and it ended with Ritchie forcing Simon Eastwood into a great save with a stinging effort.

Hoult denied Neilson for a second time before Hawley broke the deadlock in injury time at the end of the first half with a low strike that sneaked just inside the post. His first goal since the 1-1 draw with Burton Albion on September 5, it came at a critical moment.

It took Jackson just 30 seconds to double their lead at the start of the second half. Amazingly, it opened up for him on the edge of the penalty area. He tiptoed his way past two defenders and then coolly side-footed past Eastwood and inside his left-hand upright.

Two goals either side of half-time, the Magpies were well in command when Ritchie almost made it 3-0. The precocious winger seized onto a pass from Akinbiyi, raced into the box and aimed for inside the far post. Eastwood was equal to it and parried it away, low down to his left.

Davies, who scored in Notts' 5-0 opening day rout of Bradford, tested Eastwood from distance just before the hour mark as Notts tried to kill the visitors off, before former Mansfield Town striker Michael Boulding came off the substitutes' bench for James O'Brien and the Bantams adopted a three-man attack.

He was quickly involved and Hunt had to be alert as he tried to latch onto a through ball into the box. That came minutes after Rehman had headed wide from a corner on 73 minutes.

James Hanson too headed narrowly wide at the far post on 80 minutes before Boulding struck a minute later to set up a nervy finale. Unchallenged, he charged into the penalty area and capitalised on some hesitant defending to prod past Hoult from close-range.

Stung, the Magpies went close to a third minutes later. Eastwood denied Davies before substitute Luke Rodgers lifted the ball towards goal that spun wide.

Fellow substitute Craig Westcarr then had a powerful strike blocked before Davies was again thwarted from close-range during the five minutes of injury time.