Notts County earned their sixth win in seven games with a 3-1 win over Altrincham on Saturday afternoon.
Luke Williams' side moved into second place in the National League following the victory, with Chesterfield losing to Maidenhead United. Macaulay Langstaff was the star of the show at Meadow Lane, with his second hat-trick for the club and a perfect performance. Marcus Dinanga had made it 2-1 in the second half, but Langstaff restored the two-goal lead just after the hour mark.
After a nervy opening half hour, Langstaff's 13th and 14th goals of the season in the space of two minutes relaxed any concerns within Meadow Lane after Altrincham put in a solid defensive shift.
Read more: Jack Grealish makes Notts County promise after old video of Man City star surfaces
Both sides struck the crossbar in the opening stages, with Quevin Castro's free-kick clipping the underside of the frame before Marcus Dinanga was unlucky not to put the visitors ahead mid-way through the first half.
Altrincham halved the deficit early in the second half with a well-worked goal from Marcus Dinanga. The striker's touch from close range was enough to beat Sam Slocombe for his first goal of the season.
Langstaff struck his third of the game with another fabulous striker's finish, with Adebayo-Rowling the architect again. The wing-back managed to break into the Altrincham box before clipping a cross for Langstaff, who diverted his header past Byrne.
Here are the player ratings from Meadow Lane.
Sam Slocombe - 6
Didn't have much to do throughout the afternoon. Played the sweeper keeper role rather well, but was wrong-footed for the goal. Rushed out of his goal on a number of occasions to cut short any counter-attacks but looked solid when called-upon.
Kyle Cameron - 7
Solid performance. Looked good on the ball and defended well when required. Will be frustrated with the visitors goal, but couldn't have done much about it. Received stick from the Altrincham fans after an alteration in the penalty box, but recovered well. Also worth a mention for his constant aerial duel win, despite sporting a face mask.
Connell Rawlinson - 6
Played with confidence throughout the game on the ball and defended brilliantly against Marcus Dinanga. The deepest of the defensive three, Rawlinson was the commander in defence and looked to enjoy bringing the ball out of defence, rather than hoofing the ball.
Richard Brindley - 7
Linked up well with Adebayo-Rowling on the right, constantly overlapping the wing-back. Didn't stop running and kept substitute Jordan Hulme quiet when he came on. He did stop making runs once the game looked dead, but he'll be satisfied with his day's work.
Adam Chicksen - 5
Endured a quiet game compared to his usual standards. Didn't have a bad game, but was replaced by Aaron Nemane late in the second half. Will need to be offering more on Tuesday against Wrexham.
Tobi Adebayo-Rowling - 8
Showed no signs of rustiness at right-wing back and caused Eddy Jones serious problems when one-on-one. Did superbly well to create two goals from the right. An excellent performance for the defender.
Matt Palmer - 6
Struggled to create any chances in the middle of the park due to Altrincham's congested defensive structure. Seemed to be glued to the half-way line with space to roam in. Once Notts went ahead, he enjoyed himself and kept the midfield tight.
Quevin Castro - 6
Nearly replicated his sensational free-kick from last week in the first half. Composed on the ball, but did give the ball away on a number of occasions. Jim O'Brien replaced him early in the second half.
Ruben Rodrigues - 5
Like Chicksen, the playmaker had a relatively quiet game. Was marked well by the opponents and rarely found himself with room to drive into. Seemed to cut the shackles loose at 3-1 and earned his side various free-kicks.
Cedwyn Scott - 6
Was unlucky not to score with his shot just before the opener. Linked the play well with midfield very well and probably should have grabbed a goal. Came off early in the second half for Sam Austin.
Macaulay Langstaff - 10
The striker doing what he does best. Scored twice in two minutes with two of the easiest goals he will ever score. Made it three in the second half with a neat header. If Notts ever needed a man to fire them out of non-league, he's that man.
SUBS
Sam Austin - 5
Came deep to try and get into the game, but struggled to make an impact. Picked up some good positions to get the ball, but didn't do much. To be fair to him, the game was done and dusted by the time he came on.
Ed Francis - 5
Like Austin, the midfielder didn't make much of an impact. Organised the midfield well and played the deep-lying playmaker role very well. A brilliant option off the bench to tick down the clock.
Aaron Nemane - 5
Full of energy, Nemane was unlucky not to grab an assist after skipping past Ross Barrows. Often drifted into the centre to drive at Altrincham and was man-marked quite often.
READ NEXT:
Connell Rawlinson labels Notts County 'a different animal' following National League start
Luke Williams highlights Notts County defensive unity after Connell Rawlinson return
Object 'exploded' after being thrown on to pitch during Notts County match
Macaulay Langstaff form could give Notts County transfer conundrum ahead of January window
Notts County midfielder walking disciplinary tightrope ahead of important Wrexham clash
