1. Freestone
2. Price
3. Bound
4. De Vulgt
5. O'Leary
6. Roberts
7. Romo
8. Lacey &
9. Keegan @
10. Savarese
11. Verschave #

    ---

12. Mounty
13. Cusack &83
14. Thomas @53
15. Phillips #76
16. Watkin

 Notts Co

1. Ward
2. Brough
3. Pearce
4. Ireland
5. Jacobsen
6. Fenton
7. McDermott
8. Murray
9. Hughes #
10. Allsopp @
11. Stallard

    ---

12. Gibson
13. Liburd #
14. Joseph
15. Jorgensen @
16. Farrell

A despondent crowd and team left the Vetch at 9:35pm tonight.

Things started brightly enough but Notts Co grabbed the lead after 13 mins when Roger misjudged a shot from the edge of the box which flew into the right hand side of the goal.

Speaking with SaharaJack at half-time, he thought Roger may have been unsighted - at least he has web site where he can be questioned - no such luxury for the fans re Hollins.

The one question I would like to pose is ... with 20 minutes left and your side losing 1-0, do you
(a) bring on a striker and go 3 at the back?
(b) Bring on a striker and take off a midfielder?
(c) Take off a striker and bring on a defender?

There are no prizes for guessing what John Hollins did - (c) of course.

He brought of Verschave and brought on Phillips at right back thereby releasing Price into a wide midfield role.

Previously he'd replaced Keegan with Thomas which had some measure of success. This was not down to Thomas, who wasn't given the ball in his wide left position, but it did enable Roberts to flourish in his natural position wide right.

Despte this 2nd half promise, Roberts was frequently pushed inside by his marker and so his penetrating runs were nullified.

Back to the match ... Swansea had edged the first half possession- wise but had created very little. Best (only) chance fell to Verschave who shot powerfully from inside the area - but straight at the keeper.

Swansea's midfield (from L to R) Keegan, Romo, Lacey and Roberts were bypassed with the ball being launched from the back by De Vulgt, Bound and O'Leary.

Their distribution was poor - but it is the job of a midfielder to come and gather the ball off them and take responsibility for this chore - but sadly time and again this didn't happen.

How many times have I written "the giant centre backs gobbled up this tactic?"

Well however many times it is, please add one to it.

I thought the players did try, but the pattern of play/tactics did not lend itself to our strengths.
1) we played the long ball game
2) by-passed midfield at every opportunity
3) gave their midfield acres of room and time when on the ball.

If we are going to repeat these tactics then we need tacklers in midfield and not the luxury of 4 ball players.

I don't recall any chances falling to us second half save for a few up and unders bouncing around in their area.

Roger to be fair had little to do making just one save with his feet in the first half when Notts Co threatened to go 2-0 up.

Cusack replaced Lacey with around 5 minutes to go, a move that should have been made much earlier losing 1-0.

There were no cries of Hollins out - but when Verschave was replaced by Phillips, "You don't know what you're doing" rang around the ground.

Most fans are resigned to going down and the hordes that left early are unlikely to come back for more Saturday.

My team for Saturday would be
Freestone
Jones Smith Bound Howard
O'Leary
Roberts Cusack Price
Watkin Savarese

Notts County boosted their chances of a Second Division play-off place with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Swansea.

Magpies midfielder Michael Brough claimed the only goal of a disappointing match after 12 minutes when he drilled home the ball from 25 yards.