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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Sport
Leigh Curtis

Ian Burchnall's transfer decision justified as Notts County dream of Wembley

Kairo Mitchell's late goal sealed victory for Notts County at Halifax as they moved into the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy.

Notts opened the scoring when Ruben Rodrigues drove home a terrific finish after good work from Dion Kelly-Evans.

But Halifax hit back after the break when Billy Waters guided in from close range after exchanging passes with Matty Warburton.

However, it was left to Mitchell to seal Notts' win when he converted Callum Roberts' cross.

Jay Benn was sent off in stoppage time for Halifax having picked up a second yellow card following a tackle on Ed Francis.

Here Leigh Curtis analyses the big talking points from the weekend...

The Wembley march continues

For the last two seasons, Notts have come extraordinarily close to reaching Wembley in the FA Trophy only to suffer semi-final heartbreak against Harrogate and Hornchurch respectively.

Notts fans would happily sacrifice a capital day out if it meant a guaranteed promotion, but nobody should turn their nose up at a cup run that could reward the fans with a memorable occasion.

But if they are to make the semi-finals again, there are some extremely good sides who remain in the competition most notably Wrexham and Stockport who are both challenging for promotion in the National League.

Ian Burchnall's side have already beaten those big-spending heavyweights so nothing should frighten them whoever they pull out of the draw when it is made on Monday.

Either way, Notts deserve a huge amount of credit for getting this far and they have done so without playing their strongest team once.

Primarily they've used it as an opportunity to give those players on the fringes of the first team much-needed and valuable minutes to keep them fresh if they are needed in the league campaign.

They have certainly not let the club down and it would be a magnificent reward for the fans if they can finally go all the way to Wembley this time around.

Notts County's Kairo Mitchell scores to make it 2-1 during the FA Trophy match at Halifax (Dan Westwell)

Strength in depth

In the National League, Notts' team usually picks itself but the head coach Ian Burchnall has used the FA Trophy to utilise his squad to good effect.

While the likes of Cal Roberts, Kyle Cameron and Matty Palmer were left out of the starting 11, it just proved the strength in depth of the squad that some Notts fans have questioned this season.

Kairo Mitchell had a superb game up front, Connell Rawlinson reminded us of his defensive qualities in what was a rare start and Dion Kelly-Evans lived up to his reputation as a pocket rocket given the numerous fierce challenges.

It would be easy for those players to sulk at the lack of first-team action in the league, but instead they have taken it on the chin to give Burchnall a timely reminder of their talents.

Whether they can force their way into Burchnall's thinking for the rest of the league campaign remains to be seen, but it did prove that Notts do carry plenty of quality in reserve particularly against a very good side like Halifax.

Burchnall had plenty to smile about after this victory, but the deepest satisfaction should come from the fact that players who have not had many minutes at all in the league, produced excellent performances.

As we approach a fascinating end to the campaign, that is a great place to be.

Rodrigues is looking sharp

Ruben Rodrigues is widely considered as one of the hottest prospects in the National League, but by his lofty standards, his performances in recent weeks have been inconsistent.

Burchnall described the Portuguese forward's form as "up and down" in recent weeks an assessment that nobody could really dispute given the high standards we have come to expect.

But his goal in the 6-1 win over Barnet last Tuesday has clearly injected him with a fresh dose of confidence and he backed that up here with a performance that was the Rodrigues Notts fans all know and love.

On a difficult pitch his touch was immaculate, he always looked for a forward pass and the goal he scored demonstrated a supreme level of finishing.

It's now two goals in two games for the former Den Bosch striker who, thankfully, appears to be coming back into form at such a key time of the season.

With a mountain of games coming up in the next few weeks, he is going to be key to determining how Notts fare as they seek their long-awaited return to the Football League.

We all know he is blessed with an immense amount of talent and he could make such a difference as the home straight to a fascinating season starts to loom into view.

A good week for the strikers

Some Notts fans have been very vocal in demanding the club needs another striker in the transfer market only for Burchnall to insist he was happy with the front players at his disposal.

And in the last week, he has certainly been justified in backing the forwards currently in the squad. Eli Sam helped himself to a couple of goals against Barnet last Tuesday, while Rodrigues and Kyle Wootton were also on the scoresheet.

Kairo Mitchell helped himself to an overdue goal against Halifax at the weekend which would have done him the power of good given his lack of starts in the league.

The forwards have scored six goals between them in the last two games which is an excellent return ahead of a hectic schedule of fixtures that could make or break the season.

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