BURCHNALL IS BEMUSED BY PENALTY DENIAL
NOTTS County were denied victory away to Weymouth when a secondhalf strike from Andy Robinson rescued a point for the Terras at the Brian Lucas Stadium.
The Magpies had been thwarted in the first half as Ross Fitzsimons made two saves to deny Callum Roberts and Kyle Wootton.
But Roberts finally broke the deadlock in style after the break when he crashed home a wonderful free kick from the edge of the box.
However, the joy was shortlived when Robinson saw a deflected effort fly past Sam Slocombe.
Notts pushed for a winner and had claims for a penalty turned down when Ruben Rodrigues was brought down as Kairo Mitchell forced another stop from Fitzsimons.
In the end, the Magpies had to settle for a point and here are the talking points from the National League clash as Ian Burchnall’s side made it five games unbeaten.
■ Enjoy him while you can
Much has been written about the quality of Callum Roberts and the stardust he has sprinkled on Notts County since he arrived from Blyth Spartans.
This was another performance that merely strengthened claims he is the best player in the National League.
The free kick that flashed past former Notts goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons was a strike of such high calibre that it was levels above the division he is playing in.
Teams in the National League will be well aware of the threat he possesses in that wand of a left foot but good players always find a way.
Had he found the back of the net in the first half following a tremendous jinking run we would have also been talking about another wonderous solo goal.
Performances like this are only going to heighten the interest in the former Newcastle United player and even Notts fans agree that he is a Championship player in waiting.
Not since Jack Grealish was playing for Notts on loan from Aston Villa under Shaun Derry has a player captured this much imagination.
We all know what happened after that. Roberts looks a player destined for a big move at some point and Notts fans just have to enjoy him while they can.
He is a special, special, talent.
■ Taylor’s a classy operator
For all of the signings Notts made in the summer, Joel Taylor has proved to be a brilliant acquisition.
He continues to get better with every game he plays and fears that Notts would miss Calvin Miller have proven to be misplaced.
After a fine performance against Aldershot last weekend, Taylor backed it up with another excellent display against Weymouth.
He is a brilliant athlete and marries defensive solidity with a desire to get forward and support the attack.
If there is one aspect that he can improve on it is his final ball but we are being picky.
He has darted under the radar, compared to some of his teammates, in terms of what he brings to the table, but it looks a very shrewd signing.
And, on this evidence, while Notts fans were dismayed at losing Miller, they appear to have got the better end of the deal.
■ A future Notts transfer?
The National League is home to a treasure trove of exceptional talent that you sense could easily play in the Football League.
And one player to keep an eye on is Weymouth’s young Belgian midfield player Omar Mussa.
Weymouth signed him on a free transfer from Dover Athletic and the former Belgium Under-18s international looks a seriously good prospect.
He’s got good feet, he carries a big presence and was so strong that some Notts players just bounced off him.
Weymouth manager Brian Stock says the sky is the limit in terms of his potential having said there is a bit of Paul Pogba about him.
And his performance did not go unnoticed by Notts head coach Ian Burchnall who said he was “very good”.
The Weymouth fans love him and it’s easy to see why. Weymouth will not be able to keep him for long if he maintains this level of quality that is for sure. A future Notts target?
■■Hard done by
When Ruben Rodrigues charged into the box only to take a tumble from a challenge, the gut instinct of every Notts fan and the bench was to scream penalty.
But the referee Scott Simpson was not interested in the appeals, even though it looked to be a nailed-on spot kick.
After the game, the press pack were given a chance to view the incident again which showed Notts were hard done by.
Ian Burchnall felt it was a clear penalty and it’s hard to argue with that assessment.
But it begs the question as to what was going through the referee’s mind. Rodrigues was through on goal, so why go down?
The refereeing standards in the National League have often been criticised and it’s not hard to understand why.