NOLAN: THAT’S MORE LIKE IT
KEVIN Nolan was delighted Notts County were finally able to get their promotion push back on track.
The Magpies were frustrated for large spells by visitors Stevenage, but found the breakthrough in the 77th minute when Jorge Grant steered home an impressive effort.
Shola Ameobi then bravely prodded in a second just moments late to see off the challenge of Darren Sarll’s team.
It was a fine way to respond to defeat against Cambridge last Tuesday and Magpies boss Nolan was delighted with a fine afternoon’s work from his promotion-chasers.
“It was well deserved in the end, in what was a very hardfought game,” he said.
“It was never going to be easy because Stevenage never make it easy for anyone.
“But I thought our little bit of quality showed through and it was a lovely finish by Jorge to open the scoring.
“We have to realise that we can’t just expect to steam-roller teams – we’ve got to make sure we stay in games and defend properly.
“There are times when you have to sit back and see things out and then try to get back on top and get that momentum going again.
“We’ve done that really well for the majority of the season and we just went away from it a bit in recent weeks.
“But I thought we were back at it and now we have to build on this going forwards.”
Stevenage actually started the brighter of the two sides but for all of their possession they failed to seriously test goalkeeper Adam Collin.
The best chance they could muster was a low shot from John Goddard, which Collin fumbled but gathered at the second attempt.
After a fiercely contested first half, the game began to open up more after the break, the hosts’ Terry Hawkridge impressing, but neither goalkeeper was troubled until Grant came off the bench.
He struck the opener with a sweet first-time finish after Stevenage had struggled to clear their lines from Carl Dickinson’s cross.
And Ameobi then made it two when he latched onto Ben Hall’s header to bravely convert.
Stevenage boss Sarll said he was disappointed to lose having felt they had dealt well with Notts’ attack.
“I felt quite comfortable for the majority of the game,” he said.
“We were solid, our shape was good, and I thought Ben Sheaf was doing a good job when he came on.
“But I was disappointed in the first goal because it was experienced players who should have dealt better with it.
“And, had we got the first goal, I felt that the place would have come down on Notts and perhaps we then could have kicked on again.
“But it wasn’t to be. I am disappointed and frustrated.”