Notts County preview: Preston North End (A)

Meadow Lane ready for the return of League One

Ahead of the first game of the season, Derry spoke to the press, along with a string of new signings including Elliott Whitehouse, Nicky Wroe, and Gary Jones, all recently unveiled, with Jones unveiled just this morning. He commented that “I know the league. It’s a tough league and it will be a long hard season but we have a good group of lads. I’ve only been here a week but I’ve fit right in.” Notts fans will note that despite Jones’ ripe age of 37, he has kept himself fit and has played every game for Bradford in the past two years. His consistency and persistent presence in the face of inevitable injuries could well be a major factor in how the team perform throughout the season. Gary was optimistic ahead of the new season proclaiming that “my aim for the season is promotion!”
Nicky Wroe, who departed from Preston for Notts County in the summer expressed his desire to kick-off well against his old club. Preston are favourites to be promoted, alongside Bristol City and Sheffield United, and Wroe commented that “You always look forward to the first game but there is extra incentive to perform against your old team and put in a good performance.” On the club’s chances to go up, he stopped short of promotion, but noted that “energy levels have been high in pre-season and you never know. you saw what [Leyton] Orient did last year, so there is every possibility!”

Elliot Whitehouse, who recently signed on from Sheffield United, after being released is one of Derry’s younger prospects in the team. At 20, Whitehouse has little experience but hopes to draw upon players like Alan Smith and Gary Jones. Speaking to the press, he commented that  “in pre-season games I have been watching players like Alan Smith and trying to copy what they do and add it towards my game.” Speaking on what he can bring to Notts, Elliott represents himself as the following:

“I’m a young enthusiastic box-to-box midfielder. I can play the holding role or play more advanced. I’m a hard worker; you could say I’m an old-fashioned midfielder!” – Whitehouse on his footballing abilities.

The manager was a huge draw for the youngster, adding that having played with Derry in a pre-season game against Rolls Royce, he noted the gaffer to be  “a good communicator, as you’d expect, and in terms of one-on-one management, he’s unbelievable, so it’s a privilege to be working under him”.

The addition of Woodhouse has bulked up the squad in the midfield area of the pitch, and with extra numbers comes extra competition. The new signings expressed their desire to fight for spots, with Derry assessing that he now has the right characters to deal with the battle for places this season, whereas last season there had been slight friction.

“When players don’t play, they get the hump. It’s how you harness that and put it to one side; it needs to be done in the right way. That didn’t happen enough last year, but that’s water under the bridge and the characters we have brought in this year will be able to handle it better.”

In the past hour, County have also confirmed that they have added Leicester winger Adam Dawson to their ranks on an emergency 1-month loan to bring even more depth to an already bulging number of midfielders.

With the new season beginning on Saturday, Derry checked expectations of fans, staying that “I do want people to take a step back and look where the club has been in the past six or seven months. I want some progression but more importantly, some stability. There needs to be someone here for some time to come, and I hope that is me. What we will be is absolutely competitive, and if we are against the big sides then who knows”

Preston v Notts tickets are still on sale, and are available on the day for fans. More information can be found at http://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/tickets/

 

 

Derry previews Swindon fixture

Derry speaks to the press. [Credit: Notts County Press Office]

With two games to go of the Football League season, the Magpies come up against a Swindon side which is still vying for a play-off spot. Notts go into the match, one point from safety after taking three points against Crawley on Easter Monday, but suffering a cruel 2-1 defeat at Ashton Gate at the hands of Bristol City, on Good Friday. Looking ahead of the tough fixture, Derry commented that:

This game brings up a different type of opposition…Swindon have to come here to win. They will have pressure on them, like us…John Gregory will have wanted to win on Monday, but Crawley didn’t need to win.

Looking back since he took over, the fans played a big part, which he has commented on in this weekend’s ‘The Mag’:

We have had some dark days away from home and here at Meadow lane, but they [the fans] have been right behind us. They will be a driving force for us…we’re the form team; you don’t get given that title, you earn it.

Though the Magpies are sitting one point from safety, they do have a superior goal difference to Carlisle, Tranmere, Colchester and Crewe, who are also battling to avoid the drop into League 2. All four have tough fixtures ahead, so Derry will hope to motivate his players to take at least four points from the next two games and ensure safety, results depending.

18	Colchester United	44	11	14	19	48	60	-12	47
19	Tranmere Rovers	44	12	11	21	51	75	-24	47
20	Crewe Alexandra	44	12	11	21	52	79	-27	47
21	Notts County	44	14	4	26	61	76	-15	46
22	Carlisle United	43	11	11	21	43	72	-29	44
23	Shrewsbury Town	44	9	14	21	41	60	-19	41
24	Stevenage	44	10	9	25	43	68	-25	39

Remaining fixtures

26/04/14

Bristol City v Crewe

Carlisle v Oldham

Colchester v Brentford

Leyton Orient

Notts County v Swindon

29/04/14

Crawley v Carlisle

03/05/14

Crewe v Bristol City

Oldham v Notts County

Tranmere v Bradford

Walsall v Colchester

Wolves v Carlisle

 

Looking forward to next season, the County manager speculated on the state of the pitch, given that Nottingham Rugby, and both the men’s and ladies’ team use the pitch every week, leading to a difficult situation for the ground staff:

‘It’s a Championship facility…I don’t know the contract [with Nottingham Rugby] and I understand that they have a business that they need to take care of too, I understand that…I just need to see what will help us get better and a better pitch will help that.’

Derry acknowledged the revenue that Nottingham Rugby does bring in however, and seeks talks over what can be done in order to help the facility progress.

 

Notts County Ladies 1 – 1 Arsenal Ladies

Notts vs Arsenal

A second-half wonder-strike from England international Alex Scott rescued a point against newly formed Notts County Ladies, on a night at Meadow Lane that boasted a 1,583 strong attendance.

After a strong pre-season against the likes of Reading Ladies, and off the back of a 2-1 win against Coventry in the FA Cup on Sunday, the Ladies ‘pies faced Arsenal in their first league game. Arsenal, much like County, are very much a new-look side, seeing around six departures over the summer, importing Japanese internationals Ohno and Kinga, who both looked sharp as the match went on.

In fact, it was Notts who started better, despite missing forward Ellen White. Instead, Jess Clarke played up front, and put in a fantastic effort, going close early on with two good efforts.

Clarke looked dangerous all night and scored after 27 minutes. The ball was threaded through to her feet, and after pivoting on the spot, curled the ball around the Arsenal ‘keeper.

The game fluctuated in possession early on, with both new-look teams trying to settle into the match and win the midfield battle. The Lady Magpies were shading it, however, and dangerous runs from Sweetman-kirk, Susi, and Clarke had the Arsenal back four pinned down, making great tackles.

Not long after the goal, Arsenal went close after a cross from the corner flashed across the goal. Any contact from either team would have sent it in, but it eluded all.

The Arsenal goalkeeper, Byrne, was forced to make another great save when Susi latched onto a dangerous ball; the ‘keeper spreading herself and denying County a deserved second.

Arsenal began to get more into the game as it approached half-time, keeping good possession, but ultimately not giving Carly Telford too much to do in the County goal. Notts did have an appeal for handball turned down, but the score was 1-1 at HT.

Shelley Kerr’s Arsenal side came out a different animal in the second half, and from the first minute, began to trouble the Magpies, forcing a fantastic diving save from Telford.

Arsenal’s goal eventually came in the 53rd minute, with Ohno’s initial strike blocked with a last gasp dive from Bradley, but the ball trickled back out to Alex Scott on the edge of the box, who smashed the ball over the County ‘keeper and into the top corner.

Five minutes later, Arsenal veteran Kelly Smith spurned an opportunity to put the away side ahead, and after that, the game settled down, with possession fluctuating, much like the early portion of the first half.

Arsenal were shading the half however, and showing their strength in depth, brought on some useful substitutes such as Anouk Hoogendijk, the stadium announcer, just about managing to pronounce her name!

Kelly Smith rattled the ‘County bar with 20 minutes to go, with the ball dropping down, arguably over the line, but with no goal-line technology available, the officials adjudged it did not in fact cross the line.

The Magpies had a solid shout for a penalty turned down shortly after, with Alex Scott appearing to bring Susi down right in front of goal, much to the consternation of the Derek Pavis stand! No penalty was given, however.

Arsenal once again failed to finish off the job, with the ball hitting the bar, and getting cleared off the line twice, before a shot was subsequently blocked and scrambled out for a corner. This was the last real opportunity for both sides and the match ended 1-1.

The Magpies, although disappointed to not hold onto the win, must be delighted to hold an Arsenal side which has dominated in recent years, winning the title in the past nine of ten years. Missing Ellen White was a crucial loss for the home team, with Jess Clarke deservedly winning player of the match, but looking understandably tired towards the end.

County suffered two more injuries, with Katie Hoyle and Anna Green both suffering troubling-looking injuries.

The Lady ‘Pies now look to Sunday when they travel to Everton

 

 

Derry defiant over Notts’ relegation battle

Shaun Derry issued a blunt but defiant rallying call to his players, ahead of the match against Leyton Orient and called upon the Meadow Lane faithful to “channel their anger” into positive support.

On the 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Rotherham last weekend, Derry admitted he was “the most down I have been as a player, a manager, a footballer…it alarmed me…it was just not acceptable” and apologised to the fans for the nature of the performance. The club were 1-0 down after 12 minutes, and found themselves 4-0 down at half-time. However, when questioned about how Notts will approach the back end of the season, starting with Leyton Orient on Saturday, he was defiant: “We have a quarter of the season to go, nothing is decided now, there is a lot of football to be played.”

It is not all bad news for County however, after thirty minutes, when Notts were 4-0 down and sinking fast, they introduced the young midfielder, Kyle Dixon. The local lad and a product of the youth team, who has recently been out on loan at Grantham and Boston impressed to the extent of winning the man of the match accolade despite the 6-0 defeat and only being on the pitch for sixty minutes. Making his debut, Kyle said:

‘It was amazing to get the call so early, though not for the right reasons, but it was great to get on and play my game. My heart was pounding but as soon as I got the first pass off, I relaxed’.

He praised his loan moves to Grantham and Boston, citing them as inspirational moves in gaining first team experience in the Conference North, and recommended it to his fellow youth players. Dixon has just signed a six month contract extension and has stated his desire to retain his place in the first team: “I need to work even harder now to stay in the first team with the lads, and help them to avoid relegation…I’ll play where the gaffer plays me, I’ll even play in goal!”, he jested.

Being a local player, he appealed to the fans: “I’m a Notts County fan, so I know how the fans feel and know what they want to see on the pitch. I just want to do my best to make sure this big club doesn’t go down, they don’t deserve to be in League 2”.

Notts County have also delved into the loan market, claiming Nathan Tyson which Derry believes is a coup for the club: “When Nathan Tyson enjoys his football, he’s a real handful” and hinted at the possibility of keeping him on, if he impressed.