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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Sport
Oliver King

Five things learned from Notts County's 2-0 win over Eastleigh

The travelling 502 Notts County fans will be able to tell the tale that they were there when they won at Eastleigh away.

Before kick-off at the Silverlake Stadium, the Magpies had lost all three of their visits to Hampshire, failing to score in each of those fixtures but under the guidance of Luke Williams, there was only one team coming away with all three points on Saturday afternoon.

Notts had to remain patient and were rewarded with their persistence when Adam Chicksen headed home his seventh goal of the season after great work down the right from Tobi Adebayo-Rowling.

READ MORE: Tobi Adebayo-Rowling explains 'emotional' feeling following latest Notts County win

Two long away fixtures in the space of five days ended a tiring, yet brilliant week for the Magpies which concluded in stylish fashion, with Ruben Rodrigues prodding the ball beyond Joe McDonnell following neat interchange between Cedwyn Scott and Sam Austin in the build-up.

The win saw Williams' side return to the summit of the National League table following Wrexham's goalless draw at Wealdstone ahead of a return to Meadow Lane next Saturday.

Following the game, here are the key talking points from the encounter at the Silverlake Stadium.

Effective changes

Ahead of kick-off, the Notts boss made four changes to the side that drew with Southend in midweek, with Adebayo-Rowling, Connell Rawlinson, Ed Francis and Sam Austin all coming into the side.

Concerns of fatigue were echoed from Williams in their previous two fixtures which resulted in making that many alterations, but all four made a case for a starting place against Yeovil next weekend.

The pick of the bunch was certainly Adebayo-Rowling. The 26-year-old has impressed when introduced from the bench, but he was able to show his capabilities from the start, making just his second league start of the campaign.

The full-back's power, pace and determination was too much to handle for Ryan Hill and Vincent Harper, remaining patient after producing a number of good openings without reward.

But his persistence eventually paid off, digging out a cross from the by-line to grab an assist for the Magpies' opener, whilst also helping Notts claim an eighth clean sheet of the season.

Aden Baldwin's performance on Tuesday was impressive but ensuring the defender's return to action is maintained is a priority in the long run, with Rawlinson's introduction providing that experience against an opposition he knows well.

After not starting a game in the league since their 2-2 draw with Gateshead, it was a welcoming sight to see Francis back in the midfield. After starting the game nervously, the 23-year-old remained composed and kept it simple in midfield, forming an instant understanding alongside Matty Palmer.

We all know the quality Austin possesses, and he showcased that once again with another classy midfield performance.

It was just the second time the midfielder has completed 90 minutes since his mover from Kidderminster, but the 26-year-old provided that endless energy, winning a number of important interceptions in midfield whilst also providing an assist for Rodrigues' fifth goal of the season.

Speaking after the game, Williams explained the changes have given him a selection headache ahead of the visit of Yeovil next week but welcomed the challenge of picking his starting XI next weekend.

Remaining patient

The opening 45 minutes was hardly a classic, with Notts dominant in possession but unable to force the Eastleigh 'keeper into making a save of note.

It was almost a training ground exercise of attack vs defence, seeing a number of incisive attacking moves fall at the final hurdle much to the frustration of the players on the pitch.

But Williams alluded to wanting his side to have more control in the game following their draw at Roots Hall, and the visitors certainly did that with 65% possession during the encounter.

Despite their frustrations of not getting the goal their first half performance merited, the Magpies remained patient in their build-up and ensured they did not overcomplicate their attacks which was rewarded with Chicksen's opener.

The weight had been lifted off the shoulders of those in Lavender and you could see that in their play, with Rodrigues rounding off a free-flowing move in the final third to cap off a brilliant afternoon in Hampshire.

An in-depth look at the statistics further backs up the Magpies' dominance, with Williams' side having 12 attempts compared to Eastleigh's four whilst also having 12 corners with the hosts managing just two.

It was a 2-0 battering if that is even a footballing term, ending the Spitfires' unbeaten home record this season.

Ruben Rodrigues influence

It is very rare you see the home crowd clapping off an away player, but that was how good the Portuguese midfielder was yesterday afternoon.

The composure and quality Rodrigues is simply lightyears away from National League standard, producing another influential performance in midfield which was capped off with netting his fifth goal of the campaign.

From the start the 26-year-old looked to be in the groove, continually dropping deep in midfield to start attacks from deep and picking out passes that were almost impossible from the naked eye.

The game plan from Eastleigh was to remain compact and to try and nullify the threat of Rodrigues, but his cleverness and awareness to pick out an incisive pass was too hot for the hosts to handle. On a number of occasions, the Spitfires' obsession with closing Rodrigues down left gaps for the players around him to exploit.

His close control and bursts of speed almost embarrassed those in blue, with one particular moment seeing him shimmy in between two Eastleigh players which brought applause from everyone inside the Silverlake Stadium.

In the lead up to his goal, the players around him understand his presence and understand that letting him dictate the play will ultimately create an even better opening.

The neat one-two with Scott, the run to the edge of the area, the lay-off from Austin, everything about the goal was down to Rodrigues' influence on this Notts team. It was another special performance to add to the many during his time at Meadow Lane.

Ending Eastleigh hoodoo

Three games, three defeats and no goals, the pre-match statistics made from grim reading ahead of kick-off.

But if there was ever a time for the Magpies to end their terrible run away to Eastleigh, it was certainly this season and under the guidance of Luke Williams.

The hosts coming into the game were unbeaten in their previous nine games at the Silverlake Stadium, with their away form ultimately costing them a place in the play-off places after 18 games this season.

Having taken points from Southend and Chesterfield before their encounter with the Magpies, the Notts boss knew his side would have to be at their very best to come away with all three points.

With the sun shining on a crisp Saturday afternoon in Hampshire, the travelling away support were treated to a first ever win away to the Spitfires, with many suggesting after the game it was the best away atmosphere of the season.

The win sees Williams' side top the away form table, taking 21 points from ten away fixtures this term.

Despite memorable away days against Dagenham and Redbridge, Halifax Town, York City and Wealdstone, I think this one maybe tops the list given the circumstances surrounding the game.

Good luck shifting them now!!

After their draw with Southend in midweek, the Magpies knew a win for second-placed Wrexham over Scunthorpe would see Phil Parkinson's side return to the top of the National League.

Following their 3-1 win over the Iron, BT Sport pundit Aaron McClean posted a tweet of the standings saying: "Good luck shifting them now!!"

But just one game later, many of the Magpies fans took to social media to react to the former Peterborough United man's initial tweet after Wrexham were forced to a goalless draw at Wealdstone, ensuring Notts returned to the summit of the table.

However, the pundit responded to the flurry of interactions from the Notts fans in brilliant fashion, posting the same tweet, only this time with Notts occupying the number one spot.

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