Dan Martin - On Target Again

Goals from Steve Scoffham, Dan Martin and Julien Baudet were enough as the Magpies came from 1-0 down to claim a vital win over Darlington this afternoon.

The Magpies took to the field unchanged from the side that faced Barnet on Monday, so there was no place for the fit-again Kelvin Wilson in the starting XI, with the former trainee named on the bench in the only change to the sixteen from the game against the Bees.

Attacking the Kop in the first half, Notts got things underway looking for their third home win in a row to push them into a top-seven spot against a Darlington side deprived of three strikers with Ndumbu-Nsungu leaving Darlington, Sodje suspended and Kandol seeing his loan from Dagenham expire.

A short back-pass on five minutes almost caught Notts out as O'Callaghan attempted to play the ball back to Pilkington, and with the pace a little short Hopkins came very close to nipping in and stealing the ball, but Pilkington was alive to clear the ball for a throw.

The first shot of the game fell Notts' way on seven minutes with a dangerous corner from Palmer not properly cleared and skipper Julien Baudet used his outstretched leg to lay the ball into the path of Sheridan, but his low effort from the edge of the box on his left foot was wide of Knight's goal.

Despite a real lack of chances early on, Darlington were certainly showing themselves as a side who can pass the ball around well. The use of the ball looked good as well as some smart moves off the ball, but at that stage of the game there were few real noteworthy moments to write home about.

Darlo had a great effort to take the lead on eighteen when a ball in from the left by Logan was met by a excellent header by Hopkins who did everything right in guiding the ball past Pilkington, but his effort hit the inside of the post and rolled across the line before Martin hooked the ball away for a throw. A minute later Notts were on the attack with a blistering break by Pipe which lead to a corner which was eventually cleared.

As goalkeeper Knight flapped at a Palmer cross on twenty-nine minutes he caused panic in the Darlo area with the visitors unable to clear the ball. White and Sheridan both had stabs at the ball as it bounced around the area, but in the end the ball was deflected behind for a corner.

A corner from Palmer found its way to Baudet soon afterwards who had pealed away well at the back post, but his header across goal was eventually cleared for another corner which Palmer whipped in well. It seemed to be finding its way into the far post until Logan cleared the ball, with McMahon lashing the ball wide from the edge of the box on the volley after picking up the clearance.

Sheridan combined well with White on thirty-five to run onto a neat flick-on by the big man, but hit his effort a little early when running up against Clarke and his effort was easily saved by Knight.

A nasty challenge by Lafferty on his Darlington debut after signing on loan from Burnley yesterday saw him booked for the offence on Martin with a high-foot following through on the defender.

Chances were at a premium in the first half in an encounter which saw neither side prepared to give much away. Darlo had started brightly but after a fairly slow start Notts got into their stride and provided a number of telling set-pieces they were unlucky not to score from.

Martin and Lafferty were up against each just before the break, but this time it was for the Notts centre-back to clear the ball for a corner. Had he not cleared the ball the striker could well have scored. It matter little because from the corner the lanky forward was on the end of Logan's corner with a first-time volley low and hard beyond Pilkington. With the defence seemingly flat-footed, the goal looked a little too easy for the debutant just a minute before the break.

It certainly left Thordarson with an interesting team-talk to give at the break. To be fair, it was a fairly scrappy game of few chances, but the Quakers took theirs with aplomb.

The second half got underway with the visitors having to play former Middlesborough midfielder Phil Stamp in goal with David Knight going off injured after a collision in the first half that saw him clenching his hips and ribs for some time. With no goalkeeper on the bench, they were forced to bring on the ex-Boro midfielder in his place.

It certainly gave Notts more impetus to get at the visitors with the loss of the young goalkeeper, and Jake Sheridan was replaced by Steve Scoffham not long into the half as Thordarson freshened things up in attack.

His introduction did the trick because within a matter of minutes of entering the action Liam Needham got away down the left to go on a mazy run down the left which resulted in a wicked cross shot being turned home by Scoffham for his second goal of the season. He set off in celebration in front of the Z Block with his forward-flip celebration after bouncing back from his latest injury which sidelined him for two months.

Wilson replaced White immediately, but bizarrely in attack alongside Scoffham. With his height the bold move by Thordarson was no doubt to use his height.

Scoffham had clearly given the taste for goals and he met a dangerous cross by Pipe with a diving header which was wide of the mark. The goal had certainly liven up Notts, with Pipe the latest to have a go at Stamp's goal with his left-foot volley inches over the bar as the noise began to rise at Meadow Lane.

Lafferty was replaced by Appleby as Darlo used their centre-half and one time Notts target Matt Clarke in attack midway through the half, but it was Notts who had the game in their hands with more pressure being piled on Darlington with Martin heading a Needham cross wide.

Brian O'Callaghan was enjoying an inspired game at the back for the Magpies, and he almost opened his account for the club with a deft header from a Needham corner, but unfortunately his effort was off target while Wilson was played in on goal by Pipe as he sought for his first goal at Meadow Lane this season, but a great tackle by Kendrick denied him a goal.

Notts piled on the pressure with a succession of corners, but they came to nothing as the Magpies were denied by some resolute defending by Darlo. Wilson almost netted on seventy-one with a nice piece of control from a O'Callaghan pass, but his effort was not too far off target from the edge of the box. Thomas then replaced Dickman in midfield for Darlington as David Hodgson changed things around in the midfield.

It continued to be pretty much all Notts in terms of attacking, but Stamp was not really forced into any serious action but to take goal-kicks. O'Callaghan was again close, this time he headed a McMahon throw just over the bar and onto the roof of the net.

With just around seven minutes to go the Magpies took the lead with Dan Martin again the man on target for his second goal in as many games. A couple of balls into the box weren't dealt with, and eventually after some neat passing Martin drilled a shot from just inside the box across goal and into the back of the net. After waiting so long for his home-debut, two goals in as many games has been a dream start for the youngster after all his early season problems.

Wilson then almost found the net with am ambitious long-range effort which Stamp saved with his first save of the half.

However, Darlington sounded a warning they were still in the game as a Wainwright cross was headed not too far wide by Clarke, up in attack once again.

Notts were awarded a penalty a penalty when Martis brought down Liam Needham in the area, which Baudet slammed home just past Stamp. The Darlo was booked for his foul, and the spot-kick killed off any hopes of a Darlington revival. Wilson then shot wide after excellent work by Palmer on the wing. The third was the first time Gudjon's boys had scored more than twice at home this season.

Logan however straight away pulled it back to 3-2 with a stunning free-kick past Pilkington. It seemed the Notts custodian was a little unsighted as he dived across his goal to get a hand to the ball, but he could not keep it out and the ball found the net. 

Notts County: Pilkington, Pipe, Edwards, O'Callaghan, Baudet (C), Palmer, Needham, McMahon, White, Martin, Sheridan.
Subs: Scoffham, Wilson, Long, DeBolla, Marshall. 
Booked: None
Sent Off: None.