Pies V Lincoln City 3rd February 2007 |
What would make a really special derby day at the Lane ? Possibly the return of Mark Stallard,a visit by the highest scoring partnership in the league, the local favourite returning to an improving home side after suspension and all these ingredients presided over by a Premiership ref and watched by a larger than average crowd maybe... Oh yes,on this bright, crisp February day, the scene was perfectly set for an exciting contest. The visitors, Lincoln City, brought a crowd to cover The Kop - 2,400 of the overall 7,000 in attendance.They also brought a useful side - third in the league and with a striking partnership that included the fearsome and truculent Forester and our own, Mark Stallard. Between them, they had already netted 28 times since August. For all this though, the team were still vunerable - Chester had put four past them, Darlington three. Hope for Notts then, after some steadily improving performances of late and very much hoping to climb out of their big mid-season trough. As three o clock approached, Uriah Rennie - perhaps the best known official in the country, carried out the ball to the sounds of Dario G's 'Ring of Fire' and the competing choirs of The Kop and Z Block. With perfect blue skies overhead, the stage was set......... |
With such a mouthwatering fixture in prospect, it was fitting it should come to life almost immediately. Notts latest recruit, Jay Smith, got hold of the ball in front of the away end. It was failed clearance and he met it, a way outside the area, controlled it and, in slow motion, blasted past the reach of the keeper into the top corner. With just two minutes on the clock he single-handedly silenced several thousand Lincoln fans with a strike of consumate skill and one truly worthy of the occasion. The Imps could do nothing but return to the positions they had so recently kicked off from and start again. The goal ignited the game immediately and there was action at both ends. Pipe, back after injury created chances with his pace down the wing, Smith, Parkinson, Dudfield and Lee all got forward as well.The opposition had its own opportunities - Stallard came close several times; his near misses perpetuating the story that the former Pie would never score against his old club. His free-scoring partner Jamie Forester, however , soon fell foul of the eagle eyes of Rennie who noticed a rash kick at McCann after the ball had gone, right in front of the benches. The Scots defender didn't make anything of it but the ref, who had warned the truculent striker only a minute beforehand for abusing the linesman, went straight for the red card and the third-placed side were down to ten men.They continued to make Notts work though, but in the stoppage time of the first half, Lee hit a glancing header which came back off the bar without crossing the line. Immediately he was onto it and following up, this time from a much lower level, to ensure the ball crossed over the line and the home side had a two goal lead at the interval. Any thoughts that either side would ease off after the break were quickly dispersed as both came out prepared to attack. Lincoln had pushed two up in search of a way back but with only three in defence, they were more vunerable to Pipe and Parky running at speed towards them. Both men could and indeed should have scored before Dudfield shuffled the ball across the line from close range to give the home side a three goal cushion. Anywhere else that would have been enough but at Notts County, the game is always guaranteed to go right to the whistle. After the usual goalmouth scramble, Lincoln put in from close-range to give themselves a lifeline. Their former Notts striker had already been substituted to the strains of 'There's only one Mark Stallard' (sung by pre-arrangement only after he had left the field so as not to give too much encouragement to the opposition) otherwise his services would have almost certainly have been required when just moments later and deep into stoppage time, the visitors were awarded a penalty. With a correct guess, a great diving save and then a block, Kevin Pilkington kept the trwo goal margin intact and gave the visitors no chance of furthering what would surely have been an incredible fightback. As the whistle blew, Notts fans had chance to breathe again. From the second to the ninety-second minute, there's never a dull moment...... |
Thommo...understandably pleased by the result ! |
Uriah Rennie... the top Premiership ref caused bewilderment in the away camp when he sent off the Imps top scorer in the 40th minute but he was right on the spot and had seen Forrester kick out at McCann. |
Lee was first to react when his header came back off the bar and followed it in to put the home side two up at half time |
Dudfield scrambled home Notts' third |
The rare sight of a busy Kop as over 2,000 away supporters watched their side drop important promotion battle points |
Notts kick off - Stall runs by but Rennie, also pictured, had a bigger impact on the game |
Stall in action again at Meadow Lane |
Mark Stallard - 12 goals for the season but, as yet, unable to score at Meadow Lane in any other colours than black and white. |
The team applaud the fans |
Review of the season 2006-7 |
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Stall's last Notts game in pictures |
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