Notts County 2 Torquay United 2
United didn't win this game but if a victory is gained at home next weekend against Morecambe this draw at Notts County may well be seen as the catalyst for it. Just after the half hour mark in this match United were dead and buried and were staring down the barrel at a possible rugby score. It is to their eternal credit that they drew on the battle hardened experiences of two seasons in the Conference to claw their way back into the game and gave Notts County as good a battering as they will probably receive at home this season during the second half.
Bucks employed a 3-5-2 formation with Scott Rendell dropping to the bench and skipper Chris Hargreaves returning to the starting line-up after sitting out the midweek cup tie at Southampton. Michael Poke also returned in goal in place of Scott Bevan.
Not many people expected the Gulls to get much out of this encounter and the early stages did nothing to dispel those opinions. Michael Poke was in action as early as the eighth minute when he produced an excellent reaction save to palm a Lee Hughes header over the crossbar for a corner. United were under severe pressure from the home side and there was nothing Poke could do in the twelfth minute as the home side opened the scoring. A soft looking free kick was awarded to County out on the right wing and United struggled to clear their lines. The ball eventually rolled out to the edge of the area where Westcarr struck a solid side-footed shot that deflected off Kieran Charnock while on the rise and flew into the top right corner of the goal.
Goal: Notts County 1 (Westcarr 12) United 0
It had been a frenetic start for United to try and combat and things were going to get worse before they got better. It was United though who had their first chance of the match when Tim Sills released Elliot Benyon down the right and the Gulls' striker forced a save from Kasper Schmeichel at the expense of a corner. Despite that chance for United the home side were dominating possession with the Gulls sitting too far off their hosts.
Poke saved United from going two goals down in the twenty-eighth minute with a save from Westcarr who had his shot deflected toward goal by Chris Robertson as United creaked under extensive pressure and were fortunate not to be further behind.
Just after the half hour mark Michael Poke was a spectator as the home side doubled their lead. Nicky Wroe was harshly adjudged to have conceded a free-kick twenty-two yards out from United's goal and Davies curled a first class free-kick up and over the Gulls' wall into the top left corner. 2-0 and, by most people's view, game over.
Goal: Notts County 2 (Davies 33) United 0
Then something started that most observers didn't foresee, almost unnoticed, United began to pose a bigger threat in the attacking third. This newfound hope received a massive boost two minutes before the break when a superbly struck left footed free-kick from Kevin Nicholson was poked in from close range by Mark Ellis for his first Football League goal.
Goal: Notts County 2 United 1 (Ellis 43)
A glimmer of light had just appeared on the horizon for United but County still had time to blow an opportunity for a third goal when Rodgers headed wide from close range when it looked a certainty that he would score. A let-off for the Gulls and, as it turned out, an important moment in the match.
Half-time: Notts County 2 United 1
No changes for United at the break but for all of the home side's dominance in the first half they had almost no answer to one of United's best forty-five minutes so far this season.
The first major event of the second period was the return of an old friend: the contested drop ball! It has been a long time since a referee actually confirmed the fact that he had a spine and instead of some half-baked 'pass back' to a goalkeeper he actually decided that the play should be restarted by a competitive piece of play instead of wrongly awarded free-kick to either side.
Anyway, back to the action and the pattern for the rest of the game was soon in evidence; United forcing the home team back and using the throwing & left foot delivery skills of Kevin Nicholson to pound the County defence into submission. In the fifty-sixth minute United almost drew level when a Nicholson free-kick fell to Elliot Benyon at the far post and he forced Schmeichel into a save. The ball then bounced in front of Tim Sills who shot for goal but a Notts County arm looked to have deflected the ball to safety but no penalty was awarded.
Sixty seconds later and United had an even better chance to equalise when Mark Ellis found himself unmarked at the far post and on the end of a deep Tyrone Thompson cross but the Gulls' defender guided his header wide of the far post. It was about the first error from Mark in the whole of the last month!
The match had opened right up and County were defending United's more direct approach pretty poorly at times but still proved a threat at the other end. Davies drew another fine save from Michael Poke with a sharp strike from twenty yards but United had cut the supply line from the County wide areas and they were now on top of their hosts.
The equaliser, when it came, wasn't the prettiest goal ever scored but it was thoroughly deserved. Another deep free-kick from Nicholson was met by Chris Hargreaves at the far post and his header was controlled by Mark Ellis who tried to turn on the edge of the six yard box, the ball bounced up and was met by the boot of Tim Sills who slipped his effort inside the near post.
Goal: Notts County 2 United 2 (Sills 77)
United were now all over the home side and if a winner was coming it looked more likely to be arriving from the visitors. The last few minutes produced more chances for both teams and Poke was forced into another fine save and also watched as Hawley struck the post with a glancing header for County as they nearly stole the points. There was still time for Kieran Charnock to send a header narrowly wide from a Nicholson corner but eventually time ran out and the points were shared.
Full-Time: Notts County 2 Torquay United 2
