Blarney

Match Sixteen from Grovernor Vale, Ruislip domination Ouch. I almost feel sorry for Wealdstone but it's not our job to give up. It's their job to stop us. The funny thing is they got off a lot of shots but that shouldn't be too much of a surprise with as often as we were putting them in. We gave them plenty of opportunities to get them back. They just couldn't. A hat-trick by Langstaff capped the scoring with 2 more added by Baldwin and 1 by Scott. It was an impressive offensive display.

The Independent Reports Fan's Day @ Meadow Lane by Trent Crimm Meadow Lane invited fans to come watch the home team play Maidstone yesterday with fun and games galore for young and old alike. Nearly 10,000 faithful showed up to watch the good guys win... albeit by a 1-0 score. Notts ran rampant all over the pitch against Maidstone, holding a 76 to 24 possession advantage and getting off 17 total shots to just 7 allowed. It was quite the showing for the home team in front of their supporters. Unfortunately that's where the fun ended. Despite all the shots and 10 of them on target, Maidstone was able to turn Notts attackers away time and time again. Even superstar Macaulay Langstaff suffered as he got off 8 shots himself and at least 6 of them on target yet he couldn't find the back of the net. He was alone with Maidstone keeper Daniel Barden twice... and he went off target once and the other time Barden made a brilliant save to keep his club in contention. So while the supporters got to see a win, they certainly didn't see the best match exhibited out there by their home team. However, as he has done since day 1, Eddie Sirrel gave credit to Maidstone for their "bend but don't break" style of defense and said it was just one of those days. He applauded his club for applying pressure and said that one any given day if they played like that, they may have scored 3 or 4. Regardless it seems that fans day was a huge success for the club and hopefully it will boost attendance going forward.

Match Fifteen from Meadow Lane (Fan Day) a little disappointing It was one of those days where you just think you should have scored 3 or 4 easily... and you got 1. Can't complain because you got the win, but this wasn't a good showing.

Post Match Presser Trent Crimm You're through the qualifier here in pretty easy fashion. Any words for your opponents? Eddie Sirrel Nothing but praise for the way Warrington played out there. They can hold their heads high that they came to our house and put it out there. We were just a little too much for them today but I think they have a bright future. Nottingham Post Any thoughts about how far you think you can go after this impressive win? Eddie Sirrel Like I said before - as cliche as it is - we're taking it one match at a time. I'll never bet against my guys so you put them in front of us and we're going to do our best to knock them down. Nottinghamshire Live You rested a lot of players today including Langstaff, Scott, Bajrami and Palmer. Are you concerned that Warrington might have taken that as a sign of disrespect that you held 4 of your best players out of the match? Eddie Sirrel I did what I thought needed to be done for the best of my club. I make those decisions never worrying, thinking or caring about what my oposition might think. We put the team on the field that I wanted to put out there today, it was Warrington's job to try and beat them, no matter who it was. It would be the same if we were going up against an Arsenal and they rested some of their normal starters.

FA Cup Fourth Round Qualifier from Meadow Lane a satisfying victory The match honestly played out about how it should have. No offense to Warrington but they just weren't in our league... in more ways than one.

FA Cup Preview Trent Crimm You're facing off against Warrington Rylands from the Northern Premier League in the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup. This would seem like an excellent opportunity to give some guys a little bit of much needed rest as it should be a rather pedestrian match for your side. Is that your thought as well? Eddie Sirrel I never want to take any opponent for granted but we "should" be the better side here, no disrespect intended to Warrington - who are currently leading their division by the way. But I think they'd probably begrudgingly agree to the fact we should be better. Just like we'd agree that if we went up against Forest we'd have to admit that right now they should be better. Still that doesn't mean that when we met them on the pitch we wouldn't give everything we had to beat them. I have a feeling Warrington feels the same way and will definitely try to bring everything they have at us. In that way, we have to be ready for them. I'll look at resting who I think needs a day off but we're not going to just walk out there thinking we're going to win no matter what. Nottingham Post You've had a really good run of games to start the season. Is success in the FA Cup something that you imagine is possible? Eddie Sirrel I guess it depends on what you'd agree that success is. I think we can hold our own here in the first few matches for sure. I'd like to think that even if we face a club a step up or 2 we're going to not just roll over on them. But we'll take it day-by-day and match-by-match just like we do everything else and not worry about what comes next week until we get past today.

Match Fourteen from Kingfield Stadium, Woking a tale of 2 halves I'm not going to lie, I was very worried in the first half of this match. We had absolutely no answer to their relentless pressure. We were lucky - I mean lucky - to escape down just 0-1 because it could have been 2 or 3 with the way they were playing in our half. And on the other side we were showing nothing against them at all. They held a possession advantage and a shot advantage. Then the 2nd half started and it was like we were a completely different club. All of a sudden we held the ball, we were getting shots off we couldn't in the first half. And we completely blew them away with 3 straight unanswered goals. Funny game this can be.

Post Match Presser The Independent You have to be pleased after that performance. Not many would have suspected that you'd push Wrexham around like that. What went right? Eddie Sirrel It's football. Sometimes things go your way and sometimes they don't. Today seemed to be our day and everything we did just worked. The next time we face them it might go differently. I certainly hope not but you just never know. Nottingham Post So you're saying it's just luck? Eddie Sirrel No, not just luck although it would be foolish to say that sometimes luck doesn't come into play. Wrexham is a much better club than what they just showed out there but I'm not taking credit away from the way we played the match either. The next time we face them it might be 4-3 or 1-0... you just can't predict what's going to happen. What I do know is that you train hard to perform on the pitch. But even with all the training you still have to go out there and do it. Nottinghamshire Live You were very complimentary of Wrexham prior to this match. Have your feelings changed at all after this match? Eddie Sirrel No, not at all. Why would they? I think Wrexham are a top club and I expect them to challenge us all season long. But they're also not the only good club in this league. There's a long way to go to get to the top and nobody better think it's going to be easy, because it's not.

Match Thirteen from Meadow Lane that's a complete win This might be our most complete and impressive win of the young season. We absolutely man-handled Wrexham in this match. We allowed only 3 shots, 1 on target and held a 65-35 possession advantage. They had no answer to our pressure.

Wrexham Preview Trent Crimm You're facing off against Wrexham at home in your next match. They were predicted to finish first this season and are currently sitting in 5th place. Is this a match you're looking forward to and do you think it could be a statement match for your club? Eddie Sirrel I look forward to making a statement no matter who we're playing but yeah Wrexham might be a little special just because of the aura surrounding them right now. Trent Crimm Is that a good aura or dark aura? Eddie Sirrel I'm probably not counted as one that is against what they're doing there. They're trying to win and I'm pretty sure that's what we're all trying to do. There's a circus around them right now because of who their owners are and maybe that's good for the club and maybe it isn't. It's up to their management team to make sure it's not a distraction. But spending money and trying to win can never be considered a bad thing. It obviously puts pressure on the rest of us to try and keep up and it's unfortunate that some just don't have the money to spend but that just means we have to be smarter. It's not always just about money. Trent Crimm Is there maybe a little hidden message in there about Notts needing to spend money? Eddie Sirrel I want to win as much as the next guy. But like I said it's not always about spending money... but that doesn't mean that sometimes you have to. These things I don't control. My job is to win with what's available to me and if that means that Wrexham out-spends us... then I have to out-think them.

Match Twelve from Meadow Lane quality win Altrincham was always going to be tough and they definitely brought the pressure but once again our defense proved the better. Plus we brought out the offense in this one as well with 11 shots, 6 on target and 3 in the net. Langstaff and Nemane score while Kirby puts in his first in a Notts kit.

September in Review Schedule Aldershot had to go and ruin the run... but 11 matches down and we still haven't lost. Not bad. And just 2 goals allowed in 5 matches. Table 6 points up on #2 Woking - who also haven't lost - but 10 points separating us from #3. We could be opening up a rather insurmountable lead if this continues. National League Team Stats Still #1 in goals scored, although Woking has closed the gap. Also #1 in possession, shots on target ratio, conversion rate and pass completion ratio. National League Player Stats Langstaff with the slim margin in goals scored but has dropped to 4th in average rating. Finances Losing money is not what we need.

Match Eleven from York Community Stadium, York winning streak activated Another clean sheet. 2 more goals for Langstaff. That's a winning formula.

Transfer News It didn't take long to find a few warm bodies. And all were had for "free" which is exactly what we can afford. Jonathan Dinzeyi Jonathan is a former Tottenham prospect who also spent a little time with Arsenal. To see him sitting there on the waiver wire (probably an American thing - meaning available) for free was a little surprising. I'm not saying he's good but he ain't bad or at least doesn't look it. He's very tall and tackles okay. He also has good acceleration and pace. He's not the best mentally but as good as our defense has been, we think he's going to be a good fit. Luke Dreher A former Crystal Palace prospect, Luke is still just 23-years old and looks to be a pretty competent defensive-midfielder. He can also play center-mid but his lack of acceleration and agility doesn't really suit him for that position. We needed another guy to be able to spell Palmer, so this is a good fit for us. Nya Kirby And then we have 22-year old, Nya Kirby, who also is a former Tottenham prospect. Again, doesn't look to be an amazing player but what do you want for free. He's got good pace, acceleration and dribbles the ball very well so he should be a good fit in the middle for our club and we could definitely use some more "talent" there along with Francis and Vincent.

Match Ten from Meadowbank, Dorking good comeback victory Going down 0-1 on a penalty within 4 minutes of the match probably isn't the best way to start a game. But it was pretty much all Notts from there. It wasn't necessarily our best tactical match but we did control it and we got the win. We are starting to show signs of being a little tired though - lack of depth will do that - so we're going to have to bring in some cheap reinforcements. On a side note..... there sure are a lot of "meadows" in English Football... at least in this league.

Match Nine from Meadow Lane it had to end -- somewhat -- I suppose Disappointing but we knew that Aldershot was going to give us their best. It's not a loss, so we take some small satisfaction from that... but at the same time we dominated this match. It's one we really should have won. A 70-30 possession advantage is crazy. Not allowing a shot on target is excellent. Not being able to score despite constantly pressuring them... unfortunate. Credit to them for keeping us out of goal.

Match Eight from Meadow Lane pushed to the brink Sometimes it's not about the shots you take but the shots you make. Bromley really pushed us in this one despite the 2-0 advantage late in the 2nd half. We just managed to put a couple in where they didn't - until late. This was a good defensive win when our offense was struggling just a little.

Match Seven from Victoria Road, Dagenham we keep rolling Our defensive back end has just been stifling... and we keep scoring just enough to keep winning. I'm loving the consistent possession advantage. Just keep the ball away from our opponents and they're having a hard time doing anything against us.

August in Review Schedule A perfect month. It really couldn't have gone much better. 6 matches, 6 wins, 5 total goals allowed against 19 scored. Langstaff scored in every match but one. A very nice start to his Notts career. Table 6 wins is good enough to put us at the top of the table after 1 month, but there are quite a few other clubs having good starts to the season as well. National League Team Stats Not surprisingly we find ourselves at the top of the rankings in multiple categories; goals scored, shots on target ratio, conversion rate and pass completion ratio. We're also 2nd in average possession and just for good measure #1 in average attendance. National League Player Stats Who else but Langstaff leading the league in goals scored... and average rating. Scott is tied for the league lead in assists and is first in shots on target ratio at an incredible 90% rate. Finances Made a little money this month... need to make a lot more.

Match Six from Meadow Lane they put up a fight This is the first match this season that I'll say we might have survived... even with the 3-1 score. Solihull had precious few chances with a resounding 64 to 36 possession advantage for us, but they made the most of them by putting up 14 shots. Unfortunately for them - or fortunately for us - only 4 were on target. Our defense held firm when we needed it. On the other hand we had 11 shots, 6 on target and put 3 in. It was sort of a "dirty" match (not as dirty as the Chesterfield affair) as both clubs had penalty shots - both made - and there were quite a few other fouls committed as well.

Match Five from The Shay, Halifax another clean sheet Not a lot of offense in this match. We only put up 7 shots total but 4 of those were on target and 2 went in. Halifax was worse with only 4 shots, 1 on target and we held them scoreless. We did hold a massive possession advantage though.

Match Four from Meadow Lane another big win Chesterfield played us tough. We didn't score until the middle of the 2nd half and then put another in late to put the match away. Our defense was stifling and that was the difference here. They put up their fair share of shots but couldn't find the back of the net... and if you can't score, you're probably not going to win. We'll take the close victory though, every time. On another note... 14 fouls were committed by Notts and 9 on Chesterfield's side. These 2 clubs don't like each other.

Chesterfield Preview Trent Crimm As you well know the supporters will be expecting a big match against rivals Chesterfield. I don't remember ever reading much about what your grandfather, Jimmy, thought about rivalry matches. He famously was friends with most of the other managers that managed during his time here so did that affect the general attitude of going against local rivalries or do you think it meant nothing to him? And what are your thoughts on rivalries in the sport? Eddie Sirrel I'm not sure that grandpa ever met someone he didn't consider a friend or that considered him a friend, but don't confuse that with wanting to beat another club on the pitch. That was a lot different than Sir Alex Ferguson..... Trent Crimm Sir Alex Ferguson from Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson? Eddie Sirrel I met him one time when he was over for lunch at my grandpa's house. They were good friends. I had the opportunity to ask him a few questions as we obviously got to discussing the sport. There were definite managers that Mr. Ferguson went up against that he just didn't like and he really, really wanted to beat those clubs badly. I think whatever the manager is feeling probably bleeds over to the club a little bit, so I think it's important to try and maintain some semblance of balance as the person that your guys are looking at to lead them. If you're overly fired up it's probably going to put a little added pressure on the boys whereas if you maintain a more calm and cool attitude I think that has the ability to settle them down. Regardless, personally I like rivalry matches... at least from a fans perspective. I don't like the violence that someimes erupts from it... but having pride in your town or your football club definitely isn't a bad thing.

Match Three from Gateshead International very nice victory Gateshead scored first and then we just pretty much steamrolled them. Langstaff gets 2 and Scott gets 1 plus an assist in their return to their former club. Gateshead actually put a lot of pressure on us, got off 13 shots and 6 of them on goal but Mair was a beast in front of the net and after letting their first shot go in, nothing else got past him.

Gateshead Preview Trent Crimm You're facing Gateshead at Gateshead International Stadium. It wil be a homecoming for both Langstaff and Scott as you signed both away from Gateshead this season. Scott scored 24 goals for them last season, while Langstaff was the both the National League North Player of the Season and Golden Boot recepient as he scored 32 goals total. They also lead Gateshead to a promotion after 2 seasons in the NL North. How do you think the reception is going to be for them and how are they feeling on the return? Eddie Sirrel I would think it would be warm and welcoming. Transfers are just part of the business and I think most fans understand that. It's hard to see your favorite players go but Langstaff and Scott helped that club escape the NL North and I think that the true supporters understand what they meant to that club last season. Trent Crimm It's only been 2 games but so far your attacking has been exceptional. Langstaff has 4 goals in 2 matches and Scott has 1 goal with 2 assists. It would seem like signing that duo has already paid off. Eddie Sirrel I can't think of a better attacking combination in the league, with respect to Mullin and Palmer at Wrexham and Beck and Dallas at Moors. They are simply outstanding together and have real chemistry on the pitch. I'm very excited to see what they can do this season.