NOTTS County's perfect start under new boss Steve Cotterill continued with an emphatic 3-0 win at Accrington in League Two today.

The Magpies have now won the first three games of Cotterill's reign – scoring nine goals and conceding none.

Ben Davies scored his tenth goal of the season to put Notts ahead in the first half, and they led 1-0 at half-time.

Lee Hughes netted his 24th goal of the campaign early in the second half, on his return from suspension.

And Luke Rodgers scored a stunning third goal soon after as the Magpies cruised to victory.

A minute's applause was held before kick-off in memory of Nottingham-born manager Keith Alexander, who sadly died on Wednesday at the age of 53.

The home side threatened after just two minutes when their leading scorer Robert Grant seized onto Luke Joyce's chipped pass over the top of the Magpies' defence.

He raced into the penalty area and flashed a shot across the face of goal and wide of the far post.

His strike partner Michael Symes then blazed over the crossbar.

Notts went close to scoring too, in the early stages.

Graeme Lee met Jamie Clapham's corner with a powerful header from eight yards, but Joyce blocked it on the goal-line and scrambled it clear.

The Magpies were gifted an opportunity on eight minutes when Accrington keeper Ian Dunbavin hit a poor goal kick straight to Rodgers.

Rodgers burst forward, but the ball bobbled on the uneven surface and defender Phil Edwards got back to tackle him.

Hughes then dragged a shot narrowly wide of the far post, after beating the offside trap and breaking into the box.

There was controversy minutes later when Accrington put the ball in the net. Referee Andy Hall awarded a goal, but then disallowed it after a lengthy talk with one of his linesmen.

It was disallowed because Andrew Proctor handled John Miles' left-wing cross, before Darran Kempson forced the ball into the net from close-range.

Grant shot wide minutes later and Miles curled a right-foot shot wide of Kasper Schmeichel's left-hand post on 26 minutes.

Notts went ahead on 29 minutes, through Davies.

The midfielder pounced from close-range, after Dunbavin saved a penalty from Hughes.

Hughes won the spot-kick after being fouled inside the box by Edwards, after racing onto a flick from Luke Rodgers.

Rodgers got a sight of goal on 36 minutes, but blazed a 35-yard effort wildly over the top of the stand behind Dunbavin's goal.

In reply for the home side, Grant swung a free-kick against the crossbar from the right edge of the penalty area on 38 minutes. Schmeichel was scrambling across his goal-line to his far post as the ball dipped dangerously.

Rodgers had a great chance to double the Magpies' lead on the stroke of half-time when Dean Winnard completely misjudged a long clearance from Davies on the halfway line.

Rodgers broke past the defender and onto the ball, but his control was poor and Winnard recovered to tackle him.

It took the Magpies just three minutes of the second half to make it 2-0.

Hughes pounced when Edwards played a terrible pass across his own penalty area and was in acres of space to fire past the exposed Dunbavin.

Hughes went close to scoring again on 53 minutes. After deftly controlling a high pass from Rodgers, he swept a shot narrowly wide of Dunbavin's left-hand post from 25 yards.

Rodgers did make it 3-0 on 55 minutes. It was a wonderful goal in its build-up and execution, as Hughes flicked the ball brilliantly into his strike partner's path and Rodgers took if first time, firing a powerful long-range volley past Dunbavin.

Hughes claimed he was denied a second goal on 67 minutes by a handball from Edwards.

After Davies cut Graeme Lee's lofted cross back from the byline, Hughes fired powerfully at goal from about eight yards but it was blocked on the goal-line by Edwards.

The referee waved away Hughes' protests that the Accrington defender stopped his strike with a hand.

Notts introduced Matt Hamshaw for Craig Westcarr on 79 minutes, and Delroy Facey replaced Ricky Ravenhill on 84 minutes.

Hughes was also substituted in the final minute, for Ade Akinbiyi.

Schmeichel was forced to tip over a free-kick from Grant in the fifth minute of injury-time, but the Magpies eased to another vital victory in the end.

ACCRINGTON: Dunbavin, Lees, Edwards, Kempson, Winnard, Ryan (Mullin, 87), Proctor, Joyce (Turner, 65), Miles, Symes, Grant. Subs: Bouzanis, McConville, Murphy, Kee, Flynn.

NOTTS: Schmeichel, Thompson, Edwards, Lee, Clapham, Westcarr (Hamshaw, 79), Ravenhill (Facey, 84), Bishop, Davies, Hughes (Akinbiyi, 90), Rodgers. Subs: Hoult, Canham, Fairclough, Hollis.

ATTENDANCE: 2,123