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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Sport
Oliver King

Elite mentality and playing to the whistle - key talking points from Notts County's win over Barnet

Notts County fans spent Valentine's Day with their one true love at Meadow Lane on Tuesday evening, with Luke Williams' side sharing the love on an important night in the National League title race.

While a romantic meal may be the way to your loved one's heart, the appeal of a cold February evening did not deter the 6891 Magpies faithful, as they saw their side pick up another valuable three points in their quest for promotion from the fifth tier.

Here are the key talking points from the win at Meadow Lane yesterday.

READ MORE: Jodi Jones relishing Notts County opportunity after impressive Barnet display

Elite mentality

This Notts County team just does not know when they are beaten and yesterday's performance further emphasised the winning mentality instilled in them by Williams since his arrival at Meadow Lane.

In games gone by, the Magpies may have crumbled under the pressure, but the last four fixtures have proven that this group of players have that added mental capacity, coupled with obvious talent to finally end their four-year stay in the fifth tier.

There has been a different side to this Notts squad seen in recent weeks, proving they can grind out results under difficult circumstances and further showcasing their credentials as National League champions.

In the games against both Torquay and Chesterfield, they conceded goals at important times of the game just before the half-time whistle, often providing a deflating feeling amongst the players - but this squad has battled adversity on more than one occasion this season with every player in the squad proving pivotal in extending their unbeaten run to 23 games in the league.

One example of that player mentality was the introduction of Frank Vincent yesterday. A player who has struggled for game time at Meadow Lane but has rediscovered that match sharpness during his loan spell with Aldershot. With the game just about won, Vincent was thrown on in an unusual position at left-wing back and proved his hunger and desire of fighting for a first-team place with a tenacious substitute appearance, playing a huge part in Langstaff's second of the evening with his cross to Jodi Jones.

The encounters with both Solihull Moors and Barnet saw the Magpies come from a goal down to claim all three points, something Williams' side have only failed to do on three occasions this season having gone behind in seven of their 31 league matches so far.

If a run of results defines a season, these past two weeks will certainly be looked back on as crucial should the National League title be held aloft Kyle Cameron's head at the end of April.

Playing to the whistle

When Cedwyn Scott smashed home his 14th goal of the campaign, tempers flared on the touchline with Barnet outraged by the decision of the Notts players not kicking the ball out following an injury to Ryan De Havilland in the build-up to the eventual equaliser.

With the Bee's defender down, the Magpies took advantage of the situation and continued to attack with the extra man, with their persistence eventually paying off and reaping the rewards of playing to the whistle.

It has been a notable issue when teams come to Meadow Lane, looking to disrupt the flow of the game with injuries and time-wasting which has led to dropped points, with performances against Bromley and Yeovil instantly springing to mind.

But the tone was set minutes earlier when Scott went down under a challenge and was subsequently substituted due to the injury, with Barnet electing to play on which may have had an impact on the player's decision to carry on.

"I understand that it is controversial, but if this a serious problem the referee blows his whistle," Williams said on the incident.

"Moments before we had Cedwyn Scott down and nobody was in a rush to put the ball out and he suffered an injury to his shoulder and that is why he came off the pitch in the end.

"It wasn't the type of thing that was an emergency and whether we have to check if he is unconscious or not, so everyone plays on.

"There is an argument but we have seen teams when we get onto the front foot and we have a foothold in the game players start going down a lot - I am not there to decide to kick it off but the referee can make a decision if it is serious."

Jodi Jones impact

Having just played his first 90 minutes in over five years at the weekend, you could perhaps imagine the tiredness and strain in Jodi Jones' legs from the win over Chesterfield.

But with Tobi Adebayo-Rowling forced off at the interval and no Aaron Nemane on the bench, Williams was forced to deploy the Oxford loanee on the right-hand side, and what a decision that proved to be.

His first involvement was to quickly scamper beyond two Barnet defenders and instantly look to deliver into the box, with his introduction seemingly breathing new life into Notts after a lacklustre first-half display.

While the combinations between him and Ruben Rodrigues did not quite work, the idea and invention were encouraging to see which ultimately led to a performance we have become used to seeing from Williams' side this season.

And while the Magpies defensively struggled with the lively Idris Kanu in the opening 45, Jones relished the challenge of the Barnet winger and kept him quiet for the majority of the second half, further highlighting the qualities he offers to this side.

His encouraging displays have got the Notts fans excited about his loan move becoming permanent next season with his contract at Oxford up at the end of this season - and with the proposition of promotion, Jones may be swayed by the opportunity of regular first-team football under Williams at Meadow Lane.

Lapses in concentration

Once again, the Magpies were the creators of their downfall in the opening goal with another lapse in concentration at the back gifting the visitors the lead.

This time Aden Baldwin was the guilty party, miscontrolling Matty Palmer's simple pass to allow Harry Smith the simple task of putting the ball into the unguarded net with Sam Slocombe anticipating a better touch from his defender.

Despite that early setback, mistakes continued to be evident in Notts' display with several careless passes and heavy touches adding to the heightened anxiety inside Meadow Lane on an important evening in the National League title race, with Nicke Kabamba almost doubling the advantage only to fire a shot from inside the area just over the bar.

Ultimately it has become part and parcel with Williams' possession brand of football, with the Magpies still yet to concede a goal through a moment of real quality from the opposition but mostly down to unforced errors that could prove costly in the games to come.

Luckily for Williams, he has a side infected with that goal-scoring touch that has bailed them out on numerous occasions this season, but this is a habit hoping to be eradicated if they are to get their hands on the title this campaign.

Over to you, Wrexham

Even before a ball was kicked, the fixtures in the National League on Valentine's Day were earmarked as playing a pivotal part in the title race with the top four all in action.

But when Rhys Browne levelled from the spot at the Racecourse Ground, the complexion of the title race took another turn, with Notts mounting pressure on Phil Parkinson's side to capitalise on their two-game advantage, while also improving their goal difference in the process.

In this remarkable season, Williams' side have already amassed seven more points this season than they did for the entirety of last campaign, needing just one more goal to equal the goals scored under Ian Burchnall last season.

In any other season, the Magpies would already have one hand on the National League crown, but this is no ordinary campaign and perhaps nothing ever to be seen again in the fifth division.

While many believe it is still too early to look at the league standings so far, you feel as though the 10th of April is the date destined to decide who returns to the EFL.

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