GUTTED KEV LETS RIP AT HIS FLOPS
KEVIN Nolan did not hold back as his promotionchasing Notts County slumped to a shock loss at basement-boys Barnet.
Alex Nicholls’ stoppage-time stunner secured a well-deserved victory over County at The Hive.
The team at the bottom of League Two looked inspired as they dominated from start to finish, damaging the visitors’ promotion bid.
An infuriated Nolan said: “I’m absolutely gutted. I don’t think I’ve seen a poorer performance from our lads in terms of what we want from them. My players couldn’t pass a ball to each other.
“I’m not going to protect them because that was not good enough.
“They only listened for five or ten minutes and went back to what they were doing. If they don’t want to listen, they know to see me and we’ll find somewhere else for them.”
Barnet’s first chance came on nine minutes, Jordan Nicholson finding fellow winger Ruben Bover who curled the ball into Adam Collin’s hands.
County’s Mason Bennett was then forced to withdraw after 20 minutes after he pulled up with a hamstring injury.
Barnet threatened from a corner on 28 minutes, but Charlie Clough’s header could only trickle into Collin’s hands.
Nicholls forced Collin into a tougher save on 39 minutes, the bottom team urged forward by vocal manager Graham Westley.
County had the last chance of the half as Shola Ameobi found substitute Jonathan Forte, but he placed his shot just wide.
The visitors came out determined in the second half, and Forte forced Craig Ross into two saves within the first minute.
Barnet substitute Simeon Akinola nearly made an immediate impact on 50 minutes but hit the side netting under pressure.
County tried to press, and a failed clearance from Ameobi’s shot found Noor Husin six minutes later but was volleyed wide.
Ameobi sparked a counter-attack for County with 20 minutes to go, but the curled shot from substitute Liam Walker was too high.
Clough headed a late chance wide, but it was Barnet’s day a minute later as Nicholls fired home superbly from distance. Reflecting on his first win, Westley said: “We are more than a match for any team in this league. I have said it before and I’ll say it again now. “My sides are famed for scoring late goals and not conceding them, so it was good we saw out the threat the wind and anxious performance brought. “It’s a credit to the players because they are a really positive bunch.”