Notts County fell to their first home defeat of the season on Tuesday evening in an entertaining 3-2 defeat to the hands of Hereford United, and only their second defeat of the League Two season in a spirited display.
Hereford took the lead on thirteen minutes at Meadow Lane as Ben Smith's twenty-yard drive from the edge of the box took a wicked deflection to sent the ball past a wrong-footed Kevin Pilkington, and ten minutes later Steve Guinan doubled the visitors' lead with a close-range header after a breakaway down the right by the Bulls.
Notts came close to pulling a goal back before the break but Richard Butcher's header was deflected over by a Hereford defender and Adam Tann had a goal ruled out for a push following a corner.
Neil MacKenzie and Gary Silk, via a deflection, came close to pulling a goal back for the Magpies before Silk reduced the deficit on 64 minutes with a deflected drive after MacKenzie's free-kick was blocked, but Steve Guinan quickly put the visitors two-goals ahead once again with twenty minutes to go as he slotted beyond Pilkington, only for Notts to pull it back to 3-2 through Hector Sam a few minutes later as he scored his first goal for the Club.
Despite all their huffing and puffing and pressure, Notts couldn't grab another goal to earn a point and as a result fell to their first home defeat of the season.
Notts's starting line-up had two changes to the side which took on Chesterfield on Saturday, with Lawrie Dudfield and Andy Parkinson recalled in Notts' 4-3-3 attack-minded formation in place of Hector Sam and Spencer Weir-Daley who dropped to the bench.
Hereford got the game underway at Meadow Lane, and after a quiet opening period it was the visitors who took the lead on thirteen minutes through Ben Smith. A quick break on the counter attack saw a sweeping ball in behind the Notts defence pick out the midfielder who cut inside from the left and lashed the ball beyond the reach of Kevin Pilkington and into the back of the net, with a deflection totally wrong-footing the Notts goalkeeper.
Despite passing the ball around well and quickly once again, Notts quickly learned they were going to have to be at their best to break down a resilient and resolute Bulls side who have started the season, especially on the road, very impressively.
It was proved to be a frustrating first-half for Notts, and it got even more frustrating on twenty-six minutes when the visitors doubled their lead. Toumani Diagouraga burst away down the right for the Bulls and his pin-point cross found the head of former Forest striker and one-time Notts target Steve Guinan who headed the ball low and hard from six yards out beyond the reach of Pilkington and into the net.
Apart from the goals, the opening half-hour was providing little in terms of chances but on the half-hour Notts almost got a goal back on two occasions - both from Paul Mayo set-pieces. First of all Mayo swung in a free-kick which looked for all the world that Butcher was going to head home from close range, but a Bulls defender put in a fine last-gasp block at the expense of a corner. A minute later Mayo swung over a corner which was headed home by Tann, but the goal was ruled out for a push by the former Leyton Orient defender.
Despite a good ten minute spell of passing and moving, Notts were struggling to create clear-cut opportunities - but nonetheless the crowd remained with them and continued to encourage and support the side.
Lee headed wide moments before the break with the ball just bouncing away from the onrushing Parkinson at the far post, and that pretty much summed up Notts' luck in the first-half. Everything seemed to be against them, and despite playing some good football they found themselves two goals down to the Bulls.
Half-Time: Notts County 0-2 Hereford United
Notts began the second half unchanged and straight away forced the issue in search of a goal to bring the Magpies back into proceedings, and a sweeping move down the left began by Butcher saw Mayo, Butcher again and then Somner create an opening for MacKenzie on the edge of the box which was hit very well, but Brown tipped the effort over the bar.
Seven minutes into the second period Spencer Weir-Daley was brought off the bench by Steve Thompson, and he replaced Captain Jason Lee in a straight swap up the front as Notts aiming to use the pace of the frontman along with Parkinson and Dudfield while Silk replaced Canoville at right-back five minutes later as Steve Thompson introduced fresh legs and Hector Sam followed in place of Andy Parkinson on the hour.
Notts almost pulled a goal back on 61 as a good passing move eventually found Silk in bags of room down the right to advance forward and provide a teasing cross which took a deflection off a Hereford defender seemed certain to sneak into the near post, but instead it hit the post and Hereford cleared their lines.
However their luck didn't last as a foul on the edge of the box on Weir-Daley earned the Magpies a free-kick which MacKenzie took, only for it to hit the wall and fall into the path of Gary Silk who quickly fired a low right-foot shot which took a deflection, wrong-footed Brown and ended up in the back of the net for his first-ever career goal and a deserved one at that for Notts' pressure.
But, the two-goal advantage was quickly restored by the Bulls as they caught Notts out on the counter-attack and a ball over the top picked out Steve Guinan who burst away beyond Tann and calmly slotted the ball past Pilkington to make it 3-1 to the Bulls.
Hereford's advantage was however short-lived as Hector Sam followed Silk in scoring his first goal for the Club. A smart passing move by Silk and Dudfield found Weir-Daley on the edge of the box who switched the ball to Butcher and in turn to Sam in the inside left of the box and he quickly advanced towards goal and slotted the ball beyond Brown and into the net to set up a dramatic final fifteen minutes.
The second period was a real entertaining end-to-end encounter, with Notts giving their all and once again showing they didn't know when they were beaten and never throwing in the towel, even when it seemed nothing was going their way.
Despite late pressure Notts couldn't get a third goal they craved, but even despite only their second loss of the season there were plenty of positives to take from the second half showing and passages of play in the first-half - but also the concession of three goals will clearly have Steve Thompson wanting to improve on matters at the back.
Notts County: Pilkington, Canoville (Silk 57), Tann, Hunt, Mayo, Somner, Butcher, MacKenzie, Dudfield, Lee (C) (Weir-Daley 54), Parkinson (Sam 61).
Subs Not Used: Sandercombe, McCann.
Booked: None.
Sent Off: None.
Goals: Silk (64), Sam (75).
Hereford United: Brown, McLenahan, Broadhurst (C), Ainsworth, (Webb 81) Smith, Guinan, Taylor, Easton, Diagouraga, Robinson, Beckwith.
Subs Not Used: Ingham, Rose, McCombe, Benjamin.
Booked: None.
Sent Off: None.
Goals: Smith (13), Guinan (26, 70).
Match Referee: Mr S Attwell
Attendance: 3,576 (306 Hereford United Fans)
nottscountyfc.co.uk Man of the Match: Adam Tann
