Team News:
Jamal Campbell-Ryce should be available for Rossi Eames after failing a fitness test against Coventry City on Saturday.
Eames confirmed that Shaquile Coulthirst is back in light training, with hoping to have him back in the side soon.
John Akinde (hamstring), Jamie Stephens (knee) and Curtis Weston (knee) are still making progress with their current injuries.
Dave Tarpey (knee), Elliott Johnson (knee) and Richard Brindley’s (foot) are yet to recover, their long-term knocks are keeping them out of the side.
Last Time We Met:
The 10-men of Notts County managed to overcome Barnet 1-0 at Meadow Lane in March 2017.
Mark Yeates was the man shown the red after just 11 minutes, a horror challenge on Ricardo Almeida Santos.
Despite this disadvantage, the deadlock was broken by the home side, Matt Tootle scoring just after the break, something The Bees wouldn’t be able to come back from. These three points were key in The Magpies relegation battle, ultimately staying safe by ten points.
Manager: Kevin Nolan
Nolan was appointed as Notts County manager in January 2017 and registered as a player at the end of the month after the club’s transfer embargo was lifted.
Kevin Nolan’s playing career had seen him appointed captain at each Premier League club he played for – Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United and West Ham United, but is yet to make a first-team appearance for the club due to the form of Rob Milsom and Michael O’Connor since his arrival.
Kevin was previously player-manager of Leyton Orient FC. He had spent time training with Leyton Orient since leaving West Ham.
At the time of his appointment at Leyton Orient, Kevin became the second youngest manager in the Sky Bet Football League behind Gary Caldwell of Wigan.
Connections:
Jamal Campbell-Ryce signed for Notts County from Bristol City in 2012, staying at the club until 2014, making 74 league appearances scoring 11 goals in the process. This form would see him move to Sheffield United and eventually make his way to The Hive London.
Dangerman: Jorge Grant
Currently in his second loan spell at The Magpies, Jorge Grant is a versatile midfielder who is on loan from Nottingham Forest. His first move to Meadow Lane came in January 2017, helping the side avoid relegation out of the Football League.
He re-joined County in July for the season and so far has been a key part of a high-flying side. With seven goals and two assists in 12 league games, it’s clear to see why the 23-year-old is one of the best players in the division.
His most notable performance came off the bench against Chesterfield, scoring both the goals in a 2-0 victory, which helped him earn a starting play in eight games so far.
A serious threat to the Barnet back line, the fans will have to keep an eye on Grant to see if he can produce the type of performance manager Kevin Nolan knows he’s capable of.
Last Time Out:
Notts County scored a 96th-minute equaliser against Forest Green Rovers in a match that put top and bottom of the table against one another.
Forest Green dominated in the opening stages and got their reward in the 30th minute, Omar Bugiel tapping in a well-placed cross from Christian Doidge.
County had their chances though, Shola Ameobi heading wide from a wonderful chance after Jorge Grant’s cross.
However, the 13000-strong home crowd didn’t stop supporting the team and when Matt Tootle floated the ball in late on, Rob Milson rose highest to powerfully head the ball past The Green keeper Sam Russell.
The raw saw The Magpies drop to second behind Exeter City despite maintaining their unbeaten home record. Forest Green moved off the bottom of the table and out the relegation zone, up to 22nd.
Notts County: Collin, Tootle, Dickinson, Duffy, Grant, Hawkridge (59’ Alessandra), Forte, Brisley, Yates (68’ Hewitt), Milson, Stead (66’ Ameobi).
Unused Subs: Hollis, Pindroch, Smith, Hunt
Ticket info:
Tickets are available in advance from The Hive London up until 3pm today.
Keep up with the game:
Full match commentary from every game is available on iFollow. If you are based outside of the UK & Ireland, you can, for the first time ever, watch the game live on iFollow.
You can also get live match updates on Twitter throughout the afternoon. We are also on Facebook and will go behind the scenes on our Instagram.
