Notts County must address key issue to beat Bradford City & Doncaster Rovers to promotion dream | OneFootball

The Magpies must address this glaring issue if they are to regain the kind of form that could see them snatch an automatic promotion spot.

Summary

Notts County must address a key issue that is continuing to hinder them if they are to beat Bradford City and Doncaster Rovers to automatic promotion.

No team in League Two has missed more big chances this season than the Magpies and, in recent weeks, it’s become even more of a prevalent issue.

A run of just one win from their last five in the league has put a firm halt to their imperious run of form from the new year period and dented their aspirations of achieving automatic promotion to League One.

Given their current run of form and the games coming up over the next few weeks, it’s vital Stuart Maynard and his side begin converting a few more of their opportunities, or they could well see their automatic promotion dream slip away from them.

Missed chances are costing Notts

At one point, Notts’ form across January and the start of February made it look as though they would potentially pull away from the chasing pack.

However, since their 1-0 defeat at Port Vale on 13th February, Maynard’s men have looked a shadow of the side who won eight out of 10 league games across December, January and early February.

The Magpies capitulated on Saturday away at Fleetwood and ended up having to salvage a late draw from a game they had dominated. Then, on Tuesday night, they produced another disjointed home display as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Andy Whing’s Barrow.

Once again, a recurring theme across those two games has been the huge number of chances that are being spurned by Notts. At Fleetwood, they missed two big chances, while on Tuesday night they missed another one.

Their total for the season now stands at 57, a figure higher than every other team in League Two. That can be partially attributed to the fact that, as we’ve come to expect by now, Notts have created such an abnormally high number of big chances in the first place (91), that it is natural they have also missed a significant amount.

However, in reality, they haven’t really been clinical enough all season. For example, when you look at the Magpies’ three defeats since the turn of the year, on Tuesday night against Barrow, Alassana Jatta turned a header against the crossbar from a matter of yards out, while Mai Traore did the same in the defeat at Port Vale.

Even in their loss to Walsall on New Year’s Day, Notts dominated the first half and really should have put the game to bed in that 45 minutes alone. While it’s only natural for players (especially at League Two level) to miss chances, it’s fair to say that poor quality and decision-making in the final third has been a problem on far too many occasions.

It’s become an even more prevalent issue of late though, given the lack of fluidity in their play. Creative struggles have seen clear opportunities become hard to come by at Meadow Lane in recent weeks, which makes it all the more important that you capitalise on what you do create.

It’s an issue which ultimately, if it isn’t addressed, could end up being the difference between League Two and League One football for the club next term.

Notts face some massive games on the horizon

As is natural when you start to approach the closing stages of the season, it feels as though Notts are about to enter a crucial part of their campaign.

Incredibly, the typically unpredictable nature of League Two has left Maynard’s side still just three points shy of the automatic places, with a game in hand, despite their recent struggles.

Even after Tuesday night, which was arguably one of the worst performances of the season, Notts were let off the hook a little by the fact that Walsall, Doncaster, Crewe, Wimbledon and Port Vale also dropped points.

The real winners from the midweek games were Bradford City, who are currently enjoying a run of just one defeat in their last 15 games in the league, a run which stretches back to their 3-0 defeat to Notts in December. The Bantams are now hot on the heels of table toppers Walsall and seem to have the kind of momentum behind them that can be exceptionally hard to stop.

Given some of the tests the Magpies are set to receive over the course of this month, it really does feel as though it’s now or never for their automatic promotion aspirations.

Clashes with Wimbledon, Grimsby, Chesterfield and Crewe comprise their next four league games in a spell that has the potential to dramatically alter the situation at the top end of the table.

Should Notts come out of those games with a favourable points return, it would likely have them firmly back on track to finish inside the top three. However, lose the majority, and they could find themselves glancing nervously over their shoulders at the teams sat just outside the play-offs.

At the moment, logic would suggest that it is shaping up to be one of Doncaster, Notts, Wimbledon and Port Vale who will be battling it out for the third and final automatic promotion spot. However, there is still plenty of time for that to change.

It is also worth noting that Grant McCann’s Doncaster visit Meadow Lane on the final day of the campaign in a clash which could have an awful lot riding on it. With the feeling around the club as it is at present, most fans would certainly take any outcome that sees Notts within touching distance of the top three going into that game.