Full-time: Notts County 1 Carlisle 0
ALAN Judge scored a super goal and Bartosz Bialkowski made three wonder saves as Notts County kept their play-off hopes in League One alive with a 1-0 win against Carlisle United at Meadow Lane today.
Judge netted the winner in the first half – and it was a delightful chip over Carlisle goalkeeper Mark Gillespie.
And then no.1 Bialkowski was the Magpies' hero in the second half with a trio of top saves to make sure they held on for a vital victory that keeps them in the hunt for the top-six.
Notts named a very attacking team.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013
They switched to a three-man defence of Gary Liddle, Dean Leacock and Alan Sheehan in front of Bialkowski and Jeff Hughes was restored in midfield alongside captain Neal Bishop, Andre Boucaud and Jamal Campbell-Ryce, while Judge, Francois Zoko and John Cofie started in attack.
The Magpies threatened for the first time on 11 minutes as Zoko passed to Bishop and he flicked the ball into the penalty area for Cofie, but the on-loan Manchester United striker turned down a good chance to shoot first time and tried to cut inside and the visitors hacked the ball clear.
Zoko was clearly revved up by facing his old club and he skipped away from Carlisle defender Frank Simek down the left wing a minute later and cut the ball back to Judge inside the box, but Gillespie held his cross.
Midfielder James Berrett then shot wide for Carlisle on 14 minutes and it took a great tackle by Liddle to stop him inside the penalty area just a minute later.
It was a dire game for 20 minutes after that – and then Judge lit up Meadow Lane with a sublime goal on 35 minutes.
Racing onto a flick from Cofie just inside the Carlisle half, he raced away from defender Jordan Mustoe and then chipped the ball brilliantly over Gillespie and into the net.
Leading 1-0, Notts then wasted a great chance to hit the visitors on the break on 40 minutes, Bishop misplacing an attempted through ball for Judge, and it took a goal-line block by Sheehan to deny Berrett an equaliser two minutes later, after he seized onto the ball inside the box and fired it at goal.
Having survived that scare, the Magpies went close to doubling their lead in injury time at the end of the first half, Sheehan swinging a cross into the six-yard box from the right that Zoko headed just wide of Gillespie's right-hand post.
Notts continued to push for a second goal at the start of the second half and Bishop nearly sent Cofie racing through on 53 minutes, but the striker strayed offside.
Carlisle then threatened to equalise on 57 minutes, striker Lee Miller, who was once on loan at Meadow Lane, powering a header at goal from close range that Bialkowski clawed away brilliantly.
The Magpies' no.1 goalkeeper then made a second good save three minutes later.
Carlisle defender Sean O'Hanlon looked certain to make it 1-1 when the ball broke to him a couple of yards out at the far post from a corner, but Bialkowski made a superb block.
Carlisle striker Rory Loy then rifled a shot just past the top-right corner on 76 minutes, but Berrett was still looking the visitors' biggest threat and he forced Bialkowski into a great save on 81 minutes, smashing a shot towards the bottom-left corner of the net from just inside the penalty area that the Pole stopped at full-stretch.
Boucaud then crashed a dipping shot from 25 yards against the crossbar on 86 minutes and Miller was sent off in the last minute, following a clash with Notts sub Joss Labadie.
NOTTS: Bialkowski, Liddle, Leacock, Sheehan, Bishop, Boucaud, Hughes, Campbell-Ryce (Labadie, 85), Judge, Zoko (Blyth, 89), Cofie (Arquin, 69). Subs: Spiess, Smith, Hollis, Bencherif.
CARLISLE: Gillespie, Simek, Livesey, O'Hanlon, Mustoe (Beck, 88), Noble (Symington, 68), Thirlwell, Berrett, McGovern, Loy (Cadamarteri, 76), Miller. Subs: Collin, Murphy, Welsh, Potts.
ATTENDANCE: 5,553 (393 away).
7 Comments
by FrankSanatra
Monday, March 04 2013, 7:44AM
“The new chant at Meadow Lane is 4-4-2. It seems to me the players want this 3 at the back nonsense and then don't, won't or can't deliver up front. Why have a fast right winger on the pitch if he has to revert to right back and struggle. Well done Bart after the Walsall penalty wasn't sure you were up to it, man of the match for me. Super strike by Judge, some positives in the game ie we defended resolutely.”
by GAFFA
Sunday, March 03 2013, 11:07PM
“pies man 3 point i dont care how we got them and a clean sheet to boot coyp”
by ExBurtonJoyce
Sunday, March 03 2013, 4:39PM
“piesman ... you will be ok watching your paint on Tuesday evening, because for once Notts are playing on Wednesday this week !”
by ExBurtonJoyce
Saturday, March 02 2013, 8:36PM
“cmanddes ... A very good summary from you there, fellow Pie. We look frail defensively, with three at the back ... though for much of the time, Campbell-Ryce was playing as a right back and not as one of the better wingers in the division. Why ? And why do we play so much over towards the main stand side of the pitch, badly affected and cut-up by the lack of grass along there ? And why is John Cofie starting, unless Ferguson has said he must ? I have seen nothing other his first-match goal to suggest he is better than a place on the bench. And will Manny Smith ever get another game ? But we got three points and a tiny bit of "the miracle" is still on. A 200% improvement on Wednesday night should see us get three more. Easy !”
by piesman
Saturday, March 02 2013, 8:29PM
“Worst Notts victory in living memory. I am going to watch paint drying on Tuesday night to guarantee more entertainment. For those that did go this was as bad as watching football gets. Bart was fantastic in goal and Leacock was ok the rest includung the formation and tactics were embarrassing.”
by cmanddes
Saturday, March 02 2013, 7:52PM
“So where are You RG. Missed a feisty encounter once we got ahead. Not Notts best day but a sublime goal from Judgy and up till a super strike from Boucard that hit the bar we were under the cosh. Bart on top form but this 3 at the back leaves us too exposed - JCR was sacrificed to be marking space as they pushed up down the flanks, Jeffo playing as an extra left back near the halfway line. Carlisle played some good stuff but loads of niggle led by Miller, whose Glasgow Kiss felled Leacock!
All came good though, 3 points and the mathematical possibility is still there, but players lacked urgency and belief in my opinion.
Maybe tiredness but they will be shattered this time 2 weeks on, when hopefully we can look at the table with 4 more games played and hopefully back on track.
The dream is still alive..........so come on fans, turn out and follow the lads.
COYP”
by RG_Bargee_Ont
Saturday, March 02 2013, 5:46PM
“From 3,000 miles away it seemed that Carlisle had more possession and more shots on goal, but Notts. got what was needed to secure the win. Good stuff.”