Notts - Macclesfield (have to do this!)

Nikada nismo dobili Macc kuci na Meadow Lane-u , znaci da veceras rusimo tradiciju!

Hawley i Beashop su pod znakom pitanja, Hughesy sluzi poslednju utakmicu one kazne... Kod Macclesfielda Paul Morgan, Hamza Bencherif i Carl Tremarco ne igraju, napadac Kris Dennis ce verovatno biti u sastavu. Runijev burazer takodje igra za Macc

Da vidimo sta je izjavio nas menadzer, S Cotterill:

"We'll treat all of the games the same, we won't prepare differently for the top teams and the bottom teams.

"They played five at the back on Saturday and a man-for-man marking system.

"They are a big, direct side so we have got to deal with that.

"We have got to make sure we impose ourselves on the game and play the game how we want to play it."

1-0!!! Clapham strelac!

Notts County: Kasper Schmeichel, John Thompson, Mike Edwards, Graeme Lee, Stephen Hunt, Jamie Clapham (Facey 63), Craig Westcarr, Ricky Ravenhill, Neal Bishop, Ben Davies (Hamshaw 90), Luke Rodgers (Akinbiyi 82).

Scorer(s): Clapham 19
Hudson Contracts Man of the Match: Mike Edwards
Attendance: 4,672 (111 Macclesfield Town supporters)

1-0

Report: Notts 1 Macclesfield 0
Wednesday, March 03, 2010, 07:00

IT might have been a less convincing scoreline than the 5-0 win against Hereford United, as Notts County edged to a 1-0 victory against Macclesfield Town at Meadow Lane.

But the reward is exactly the same, three precious points in their assault on promotion in League Two.

Jamie Clapham's first goal of the season, in fact, his first goal since last February, proved decisive as the Magpies claimed their ninth home league win of the season.

They should have won by a greater margin.

Notts were boosted by the swift recovery of central midfielder Neal Bishop from an ankle injury that led to his exit in the closing stages against Hereford United on Saturday.


But Karl Hawley was not in the squad, having failed to recover from a hamstring problem.

In truth, the Magpies were not weakened by his absence as Craig Westcarr and Luke Rodgers, who scored all five of the goals against the Bulls between them, were partnered in attack.

Westcarr's switch into a central attacking role was one of four positional changes made by manager Steve Cotterill from the Hereford victory.

Stephen Hunt also switched to left-back, Clapham to left midfield and Ben Davies to right midfield.

In one personnel change, Mike Edwards was restored to the heart of the Magpies' defence, alongside Graeme Lee.

Macclesfield's team notably included ex-Magpies midfielder Richard Butcher.

As Notts challenge for promotion this season, his first return to Meadow Lane since being released at the end of last season was a reminder of more difficult times for the club, not too long ago.

Indeed, he arguably kept them in the Football League in the 2007/08 season as their top scorer with 12 goals.

The Magpies enjoyed enormous fortune to score the opening goal against Hereford in their last match at Meadow Lane, as Westcarr pounced on a defensive slip by Sam Gywnne.

Unlike Westcarr, however, Rodgers did not capitalise on a gifted opportunity when Macclesfield keeper Jon Brain rather comically struck a goal-kick into the back of the head of one of his defenders, Sean Hessey, on eight minutes.

Instead of bursting into the penalty area when the ball rebounded to him, Rodgers tripped over it.

The game was lit up by Westcarr on 17 minutes. After latching onto a long goal-kick from Kasper Schmeichel, launched quickly to catch the stretched Silkmen off-guard, his first attempt was bravely blocked by Nat Brown.

Denied but not deterred, he seized onto the rebound and forced Brain into a good save with a powerful second strike.

Notts went close to breaking the deadlock a minute later when Westcarr threaded a pass forward to Rodgers to race onto. Using his pace to beat his marker, he drove into the penalty area and rifled an effort unluckily against the underside of the crossbar.

But the Magpies deservedly took the lead soon after as Clapham headed John Thompson's right-wing cross past Brain from close-range, in front of the Kop.

Rodgers had a strike deflected over the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area on 28 minutes, as Notts sought a second goal, before the visitors' striker Ricky Sappleton skewed a shot well wide of Schmeichel's right-hand post from 20 yards on 36 minutes.

Sappleton looked a greater threat five minutes later when he burst into the penalty area. This time his shot was on target but it was blocked.

Ross Draper then miscued wide from eight yards, having been given far too much space in the box, before Westcarr threatened to double the Magpies' lead in injury time at the end of the first half.

He showed super strength to hold off the towering figure of Brown, before firing over the bar.

For all of their command in the first half, Notts were only 1-0 up. The game was still in the balance.

The Magpies began the second half as they ended the first, on top.

On 50 minutes, Clapham lifted a free-kick into the penalty area that Lee headed across goal, but it was just too far in front of Rodgers, who made a run into the six-yard box.

Macclesfield made an early substitution, replacing the ineffective Craig Lindfield with former Nottingham Forest striker Emile Sinclair on 53 minutes.

Still, they posed little threat and Schmeichel made a routine save from Colin Daniel at his near post on 58 minutes, after he raced onto a quick throw-in.

Notts made their first change just after the hour mark and Delroy Facey, who made an impressive impact as a substitute against Hereford, replaced the goalscorer Clapham.

As Facey joined Rodgers in attack, Westcarr dropped back to right midfield and Davies switched to the left wing.

Facey's first involvement led to a corner from which the Magpies went close to making it 2-0.

After his first attempt to curl the ball into the box was cleared at the near post, Davies swung the ball into the box a second time on his left foot and Hunt met it with a great header, but Brain saved from close-range.

Minutes later, Rodgers stung Brain's palms with a powerful left-footed strike from the edge of the penalty area.

Ex-Notts midfielder Paul Bolland entered the fray for the visitors on 74 minutes, and Macclesfield made their final substitution two minutes later, as Ben Wright replaced Sappleton.

Ade Akinbiyi replaced Rodgers on 82 minutes, but never got a chance to score his first goal for the club.

It was a scrappy end, with neither side creating any scoring chances.

Facey went closest to scoring in the closing stages, but was denied by a good save from Brain. It ended 1-0, and the Magpies march on.

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