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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Sport
Leigh Curtis

Notts County v Halifax player ratings as Kairo Mitchell inches Magpies closer to 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 rates the players.

Sam Slocombe: Showed good hands to tip a Kian Spence over the bar in the first half in what was his only real save to make. Could do very little with Waters' strike. 6

Dion Kelly-Evans: Made an excellent start to the game and had a big hand in Ruben Rodrigues' opening goal. Typical blood and thunder performance. 6

Connell Rawlinson: Made his long-awaited return to the first team and his performance here was what we've come to expect from him. Strong in the air and loves a tackle. 7

Alex Lacey: Former Luton defender got out of jail when a rogue pass presented Aaron Martin with a chance which Slocombe saved, but other than that mistake he was dependable. 6

Joel Taylor: Hasn't quite found the form he showed earlier on in the season, but he showed flashes of what he is normally about here when attacking from full-back. 6

Ed Francis: Sold game in the middle of the park as the holding midfielder. Won a couple of crunching tackles and kept Notts ticking over in possession. Made some crucial blocks late on. 7

Frank Vincent: Really energetic in terms of enforcing the press on Luke Summerfield. That showed what a selfless runner he is. Did a steady job. 6

Ruben Rodrigues: Opened the scoring with a terrific finish that showed his ability in front of goal. Two goals in two games now and looks to be heading into form at a key time. 8

Eli Sam: Continued where he left off last Tuesday against Barnet with a hustling and bustling display on the left-hand side. Was subbed in the second half. 6

Kyle Wootton: Not only does bring value to the team in terms of unselfish attitude and willingness to put his body on the line, but was great when defending set-pieces. 6

Kairo Mitchell: Played on the right-hand side of a three-man attack and blazed a shot over the bar in the first half. Was a willing runner all game and got his rewards with a goal. Excellent. 8

Subs

Callum Roberts (Sam 66): Brilliant introduction and looked bang up for it. Teed up Mitchell for the winner. 7

Jayden Richardson (Kelly-Evans 77): His lung-bursting run was a key part of the winner. 7

Aaron Nemane (Wootton 78): Showed some blistering turns of pace. 6

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