NOW IS CALL FROM DERRY
RELIEVED Shaun Derry wants Notts County to go and complete one of the greatest escapes in the club’s history after they overcame Swindon.
Victory lifted the Magpies out of the bottom four and, with results going their way, they now need just a draw at Oldham on the final day to remain in League One.
It is an astonishing turnaround given the club looked dead and buried prior to Derry’s arrival in November.
But their performance here at Meadow Lane underlined the progress they have made under his leadership as goals from Alan Sheehan and Callum McGregor sealed a fabulous victory.
And Derry now wants his side to finish the job at Boundary Park after they ended Swindon’s play-off charge with the Robins finishing with nine men.
He said: “It was a huge day for us and and a huge result and they just keep getting bigger and bigger.
“The occasion has just got massive now and we cannot let ourselves down against Oldham. I’ve been through too many last-day dramas to know that they can have a real sting in the tail.
“We will come in on Monday and prepare properly.We’ll train throughout the week and we’ll make sure everybody is in the right frame of mind.
“But I hope next weekend will be a joyous occasion.We go to Oldham on the back of a fine performance against Swindon and my celebration at the end was one of relief because Swindon actually wanted to score a goal.
“We only had a 1-0 lead and given the type of attacks that were coming thick and fast, I knew we had a big backline and midfield four who could stick it out.
“But the second goal finalised the result and it was such a relief given what was at stake.”
Notts County had taken the lead after just nine minutes when skipper Sheehan drove home from just inside the box.
Swindon had chances to equalise, but their hopes of a win diminished near the end as a result of a huge bust-up involving both sets of players. Eventually Troy Archibald-Henville received a straight red card while Nathan Thompson also saw red for picking up a second yellow.
To compound Swindon’s misery, McGregor notched his 14th goal of the season with a simple tap-in from a quick break which had seen goalkeeper Wes Foderingham caught upfield after attempting to meet a free-kick.
And Swindon boss Mark Cooper was not amused with referee Richard Clark.
He said: “The referee was just guessing and it was pretty much pot luck who got booked at the end.
“I wouldn’t give them the pleasure of reporting him because it doesn’t make any difference. I just hope the assessors were here to see it.
“We gave it a right go at the end, even with nine men, but credit to Notts County because they were fighting for their lives. They were right at it and we expected that. Full credit to them because they deserved it in the end.
“We just didn’t produce enough in the final third of the pitch.We looked as if we were not going to work them too much.
“We didn’t create too much and we couldn’t blame the pitch because it was fine.
“Deep down we knew we were always chasing the play-offs and that it would require a twist of fate. But I am delighted with the way we have ended the season.”