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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Sport
Oliver King

Five things we learned as Notts County continue stunning form against Aldershot

Eight matches unbeaten, four consecutive wins and two clean sheets in a row, Notts County are on fire in the National League at the moment.

The Magpies continued where they left off against Dagenham and Redbridge, with two second half goals from Cedwyn Scott and Macaulay Langstaff seeing off the challenge of Aldershot on Tuesday evening.

In what turned out to be a dominant display in the second half, Luke Williams' side were made to work for the three points but managed to break down the Aldershot defence in the 52nd minute after good work from Geraldo Bajrami, who set up Scott for his third goal of the season.

READ MORE: Geraldo Bajrami issues message to Notts County team-mates following Aldershot victory

And the points were secured just after the hour-mark with what can only be described as PlayStation football as Notts passed their way from back to front with at least 30 passes, before Langstaff tapped home his tenth goal of the season.

Speaking after the game, Williams reiterated the challenges presented to his side by the visitors, insisting it wasn't an easy three points for Notts to pick up.

"I thought the opposition was fantastic, we were not surprised by that, but we were struggling at the start of the game," said the Notts boss.

"We changed twice because they were causing us so many problems, and then I thought the players adapted and concentrated so well, and probably from the mid-point of the first half to the end of the game were aggressive and won the ball back so quickly.

"So, the most pleasing thing for me that the opposition were so tough, and we managed to get to grips with them."

Upon reflection, here are five things we learned from the Aldershot victory at Meadow Lane.

Geraldo Bajrami's versatility

It was another brilliant performance from the Albanian, so surely, this time he has to start the next game.

Despite being dropped to the bench following his man of the match showing against Solihull Moors, Bajrami will likely start on Saturday against Dorking Wanderers following the injuries to Aden Baldwin and Richard Brindley, although Brindley's is yet to be assessed.

The versatility of Bajrami's game has become a huge asset for Williams, deploying him as either a central midfielder or part of the back three, and he has looked extremely comfortable in both positions.

His defensive capabilities and passing qualities were on show throughout yesterday, marshalling former Notts loanee Inih Effiong well at Meadow Lane.

Whilst defensively sound, the 22-year-old also showed off his pace and trickery in the lead up to the opening goal, taking on three or four Aldershot defenders before showing that passing range to clip the ball to the back post for Scott to fire home.

Following another great performance, Bajrami has given his manager another selection headache ahead of this weekend.

Sam Slocombe saves importance

Despite a controlled start to the game, the Magpies were caught out on a few occasions from the Aldershot counterattack, with Mark Molesley's side content with sitting back and soaking up the pressure.

With all that possession it is easy to lose focus, but the Notts 'keeper was on hand to ensure the scores remained level in the opening 15 minutes.

First, he made an excellent save to deny Tyler Cordner's goal-bound effort, and from the resulting corner producing a simply brilliant diving save to deny the same man, tipping his header onto the post before a mad scramble in the box ensued.

But that seemed to be the wakeup call Notts needed, and Slocombe was rarely troubled after that, but he still did not lose focus, taking up some excellent forward positions on the edge of his penalty box to sweep up the balls over the top from the visitors.

Matty Palmer masterclass

He ran Bajrami very close for the man of the match award, that being said, it was another unbelievable performance from the midfielder.

Palmer has all the right attributes to become a top midfield player. He is quick, strong in a tackle, good in the air and his array of passing is something that enabled his side to control the play from that area of the pitch.

He complements Jim O'Brien very well in midfield, with the pair having similar attributes that offer a lot for Williams in midfield, whilst allowing Ruben Rodrigues to remain further forward to supply Scott and Langstaff.

One moment in the match stands out in particular when Rodrigues and Palmer played at least six passes just between them two, and the Aldershot midfield simply stood and watched as the pair toyed with them.

It showcases their quality at this level, and Palmer's performances have gone slightly under the radar this season, and he has been a key component in the success of the Magpies this season.

Connell Rawlinson return

If Richard Brindley and Aden Baldwin's injuries are more serious than first thought, what a sight it is for Notts fans to see this man finally make a return to the matchday squad.

If Rawlinson is able to keep fit, he will be a great addition to Williams' defence in their quest to win promotion out of the National League.

As we saw last season, the 30-year-old is a commanding centre-back who wins a lot of headers defensively and can be a threat in the opposition penalty area also.

After replacing Brindley at a crucial time for his side having just taken the lead through Scott, Rawlinson put on an excellent display on the right-hand side of the three, defending brilliantly against the speed of Justin Amaluzor, whilst also offering Aaron Nemane an option going forward.

Quevin Castro's impressive cameo

After signing just one day prior to his National League debut, it is clear to see why Williams was keen to sign the 21-year-old to further bolster his attacking options.

During his 20-minute cameo, he showed pace, directness and some neat touches and close control to keep possession, linking up well with Kairo Mitchell and Rodrigues during the time he was on the pitch.

At six foot four, the Portuguese midfielder also has the ability to aerially dominate his opponents, and he won a number of headers against a tired Aldershot defence, whilst also showing how nimble he was on his feet for a man of his size.

His impressive cameo will have caught the eye of his manager, but the question is, how do you fit him into this Notts side at the moment?

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