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Match Reports

Yeovil 2-0 Notts

19 January 2019

Notts County were beaten 2-0 by Yeovil Town at Huish Park.

The Magpies' Achilles heel was exploited once more as Tom James' eighth-minute header from a corner gave the hosts the dream start.

And they wrapped up the points in second-half injury time through Alex Dobre, leaving Notts rooted to the bottom of the Sky Bet League Two table.

Neal Ardley made two changes to the side that were beaten by Cambridge United last weekend.

One was forced as new goalkeeper Ryan Schofield was left at home due to illness. Ross Fitzsimons regained his place between the sticks.

The other saw David Vaughan replace the bench-bound Kristian Dennis, leaving Lewis Alessandra to partner Jon Stead up front.

Enzio Boldewijn was back on the bench after his long-awaited return from a knee injury.

Notts had the first glimmer of goal when Town keeper Nathan Baxter came out of his area to clear the ball, only to present it to Cedric Evina down the left 40 yards out. The wing back couldn't find the empty net with a speculative effort.

Minutes later, Yeovil had the lead when James met a corner at the near post to loop a header into the far corner of Fitzsimons' net.

Notts wanted a quick response and could have had one when Alessandra received the ball in space just inside the area. He had time to think about his cross, aiming for Stead with a drilled delivery. The angles were against the forward, however, and he directed his diving header well wide.

Alessandra was also involved in Notts' next chance, picking up the scraps from Rob Milsom's header to send a shot at goal on the spin from the edge of the box. It was straight at Baxter, however, who held on to the ball low down.

Despite the scoreline the Magpies were having the lion's share of the play and Elliott Hewitt had two opportunities to equalise before the referee called time on the first half.

First the Welshman saw a shot blocked at the back post before, seven minutes later, he sent a close-range half-volley over the bar after Stead had challenged Baxter to meet Evina's cross.

There were no changes at the break and Notts began the second half on the front foot, winning a succession of corners but failing to test Baxter.

The pressure on Yeovil's defence was relieved when Vaughan was booked for a foul on Rhys Browne as he led a speedy counter attack.

And there was a yellow card for James shortly afterwards after he cynically pulled back Cedric Evina as he made strides down the left.

Alessandra was just underneath a delicious Stead cross and Vaughan sent a 20-yard effort wide as Notts continued their pursuit of a much-needed equaliser.

Chances for the hosts had been few and far between but they carved out a good opening shortly after the hour when Dobre led a counter-attack down the left. He rolled the ball into the middle for the onrushing Sessi D'Almeida but Richard Duffy was on hand to make a vital intervention.

Notts then went agonisingly close at the other end when Stead's giant leap at the back post kept a corner alive, presenting Pierce Bird with a chance to nod the ball home from close range. The young defender couldn't climb high enough to get the ball under the bar, however, nodding it against the woodwork.

Boldewijn and Kristian Dennis replaced Alessandra and Evina as the game entered its final throes.

And Yeovil could have made it 2-0 with their first real chance of the second half when substitute Alex Fisher strode into the area and drew a save from Fitzsimons with an effort he had tried to curl into the far corner.

Ardley's final throw of the dice saw Nathan Thomas replace Bird as the manager injected more attacking intent.

But Yeovil could have wrapped it up just before six minutes of added time when Gary Warren miscued a volley at the back post, inadvertantly presenting the ball to D'Almeida just outside the area. He skied his shot.

It wasn't to matter for the hosts, though, as Dobre pounced on a loose ball behind the Magpies' defence to round Fitzsimons and make it 2-0.

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