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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Sport
Oliver King

The smallest of margins and incredible spectacle: Talking points from Notts County loss to Wrexham

Football. The only sport in the world that can provide those indescribable moments of highs but then bring you crashing back down to earth all within 90 minutes - but that is the sport we have grown to know and love.

While the overriding feeling may be one of disappointment, there was an immense sense of pride for many Magpies fans as this special group of players continue to go toe-to-toe with one of the best sides the National League has ever seen.

While the pendulum may have swung back in the favour of those in north Wales, recent weeks have told us that this is far from over, and many will be holding on to hope that is the case.

READ MORE: John Bostock on bittersweet Notts County moment and Kyle Cameron importance after Wrexham loss

READ MORE: Ryan Reynolds pays tribute to 'utterly beloved' Jason Turner after Wrexham beat Notts County

Here is a look at the key talking points from The Racecourse Ground.

The smallest of margins

In a game of this magnitude with the amount of quality taking to The Racecourse Ground turf, even the slightest momentary lapses in concentration could prove costly, and that was evident yesterday.

Having taken the lead on the stroke of half-time through John Bostock's sublime free-kick, the message at the interval would have been to ensure that the elation of taking the lead is subsided and that the primary focus is on maintaining that advantage for as long as possible.

But when Paul Mullin was able to bundle his way beyond Geraldo Bajrami to score three minutes into the second period, it was paramount that Notts weathered the potential storm coming their way, which they managed to do with their control and composure in possession.

However, when Sam Austin was introduced into the action and Notts set to face a set-piece, Eoghan O'Connell's ball down the right-hand side caught the Magpies napping, as Mullin ran away from Kyle Cameron before putting a ball across the face of goal for Jacob Mendy to steer beyond Sam Slocombe.

But as they did when conceding the equaliser, Luke Williams' side responded well yet again, with Cameron's cross into the area just evading Macaulay Langstaff with the help of a touch from Ben Foster, Austin also going close moments later with a weaving run that was saved by the Wrexham goalkeeper - their persistence rewarded six minutes later when Cameron headed home Matty Palmer's cross to the back post.

Despite the goal, Notts were undone again by a culmination of defensive errors as O'Connell was allowed to run onto his chipped pass over the top unchallenged by a Magpies defender - his eventual cross flicked away by Bajrami and into the path of Mullin, who laid it on a plate for Elliot Lee to emphatically finish.

Notts the better footballing side, but ultimately, Wrexham were the more effective - but in a breathless encounter, there was still more drama to come as the visitors were awarded a penalty late on.

Late penalty drama

With the game seemingly on a knife edge as the final whistle approached, Notts continued to press for a late equaliser for a point that could have proved significant in the race for the title, managing to grab one final opportunity in the seventh minute of injury time.

O'Connell was penalised for handling Langstaff's goal-bound header with his arm, with referee Scott Tallis taking his time before awarding the spot-kick, much to the confusion of everyone inside the ground including the travelling Magpies fans who belatedly erupted in celebration once they knew the decision had been made.

Having seen normal penalty taker Ruben Rodrigues substituted earlier in the game, many wondered as to who would take the spot-kick - the obvious choice being 41-goal Langstaff, however, he had not taken one all season.

Cedwyn Scott immediately grabbed the ball and assumed responsibility for the biggest kick of a football in recent seasons, which showed great mentality and huge confidence in a game where the stakes were so high.

Unfortunately, Scott saw his effort brilliantly saved by Foster to cue an eruption of celebration from the home fans, and a moment of despair for Williams and his side - but should it have stood?

Upon further inspection, the former Premier League goalkeeper appears to step off his line before diving to his right to save. If VAR was in use, perhaps a retake would have been awarded - but hindsight is a wonderful thing. Should a game of this importance have had the technology in use? Possibly.

High line analysed

It is a tactic that has been deployed by Williams since he arrived at the start of the campaign, so it would have been foolish to deter from it for just one game - and it worked for large parts of the encounter.

During the first half on several occasions, the Magpies back-line frustrated Wrexham with their disciplined defensive showing, catching Ollie Palmer and Mullin offside multiple times much to the disagreement of the home supporters inside The Racecourse Ground with perhaps a few decisions made by the official on the far side perhaps a little hasty.

But Wrexham's persistence in utilising the ball over the top did provide some nervy moments for the Magpies defence during the first half, none more so than when Mullin tripped when confronted by Slocombe, the referee making the right call upon first glance despite cries from the Red Dragons faithful.

Notts continued to implement a tactic that has served them so well this season and has kept them 17 clean sheets so far this campaign and the hosts were becoming increasingly frustrated as Slocombe was on hand to mop up any balls over the top with his excellent positioning and superb timing in committing to winning the ball.

In comparison to the Magpies, Wrexham were playing to their strengths and continuing to find Mullin and Lee in pockets of space in midfield to affect the game and push the ball forward, whereas, at the other end, Langstaff was starved of the passes in behind that he thrives upon with Ben Tozer rarely tested all afternoon against the National League's leading scorer.

But during the second half, the defence looked indecisive at times and opted to try and play their way out of trouble when sticking the ball into touch was the better option. The speed and precision of the Wrexham attack caught the Magpies on the turn and instantly put them on the backfoot - but continuing to play with the high line was crucial to eliminate the possibility of facing more crosses into the area by both Mendy and Ryan Barnett, something they have thrived upon during this season.

It has been high risk, high reward when analysing the high line throughout the season, and while it may cause some heart-in-mouth situations, has more benefits than its downfall yesterday with goals coming down to individual errors, rather than down to a particular tactical decision.

An arm around each other

As the full-time whistle sounded ending 97 minutes of captivating action, the contrast in emotion between both sets of players just showed how much this game of football meant to each individual.

The Notts players were out on their feet after giving everything in this relentless chase for the league title, but now is a time to rally behind the players for the final three games and if the play-offs are the way to achieve EFL status, so be it - this group of players are more than capable of achieving it.

No one will be hurting more than those who featured in the game yesterday along with their manager, but scoring 108 goals and accumulating 100 points does not happen by chance.

It's now more important than ever despite the disappointment of events that occurred yesterday, that this special squad that were assembled at the start of the season has given fans the season of a lifetime - the goal remains to obtain promotion and one that this group of players will be intent on achieving.

Incredible spectacle

Yesterday's encounter was not only special for everyone in attendance, but a great advert for how competitive, passionate, and high-quality the National League has become.

Almost 10,000 fans packed inside The Racecourse Ground to view a titanic battle of seismic proportions, one that has huge implications as to where the National League trophy would end up come April 29.

While the battle on the pitch and between the opposing supporters was fierce and intense, there was an element of respect between these two exceptional football teams - evident as both came together to honour the life of Jason Turner with an emotional minute's applause ahead of kick-off which was well received inside the stadium.

The atmosphere inside the ground came in waves of joy and jubilation to despair and anguish in an enthralling 97 minutes of football, certainly living up to the expectation of being one of the biggest and high-quality games the fifth tier has ever seen, with many hoping both can continue their rivalry into the League Two next season.

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