Sam Bunce
This is certainly a rare feat for Notts County since their return to League Two in 2023/24. The last time they strung six victories together on the spin was in their promotion winning campaign in the National League under now Peterborough United boss Luke Williams.
Riding the crest of a wave comes with momentum to leverage while maintaining that high level requires any feeling of pressure to be channelled positively.
Another weekend has passed and County have cemented themselves in the automatic promotion spots.
Their latest test against Barrow could have caused all their hard work to be undone since the visitors had been a thorn in County’s side over the past five meetings.
How did County maintain their upwards trajectory?
Jodi Jones was reinstated so Maz Kouhyar stepped aside, albeit he replaced Jones in an effort to protect the winger’s fitness in the second half.
However, Alassanna Jatta was ruled out for a second successive game, so Matthew Dennis had to operate as the lone striker from the start.
Nick Tsaroulla’s enterprising play down the right wing was rewarded when his deflected effort had the beating of Wyll Stanway in the Barrow net.
It didn’t necessarily reflect what County’s early attacking threat deserved, but the knack for scoring lately when performing below par has all the hallmarks of promotion contenders.
James Belshaw’s masterclass against Gillingham in midweek had the Notts County faithful raving about their new signing between the sticks, and he is even more of a fan favourite given that the 35-year-old is a lifelong supporter of the club.
The move from rock-bottom Harrogate Town may have been the best course of action possible for his career. He would simply be unable to react to thwart Charlie McCann’s impressively struck leveller and can pin the blame onto County’s defence, which became too easy to breach.
Harald Tangen made his debut as a half-time substitute when he replaced Tyrese Hall, who has been one caveat to County’s ascendancy and consistency. The Tottenham Hotspur loanee arrived at Meadow Lane with expectations that he could follow in the footsteps of George Abbott.
Despite a fruitful beginning in a County shirt, his contributions have plummeted and he has now not scored a goal since November. Giving the nod to Conor Grant, or even deploying both Jatta and Dennis, may become Paterson’s preferred stance over the next few months, especially with the league position County find themselves in.
As for the Norwegian debutant who signed on loan from Sarpsborg, the crowd were eagle-eyed with his every move and seemed to admire what he brought to the table from his cameo.
The most accurate passer to play 45 minutes or more, and a few fist pumps to The Kop following the final whistle to cap off a largely successful debut.
County had knocked on the door but without clear-cut opportunities to trouble the Barrow defence and to assert their authority.
Dennis instinctively turned the ball home to vitally regain the lead, after a miscued strike from Scott Robertson. Scrappy to say the least.
There were questions over whether County could recruit a worthy replacement for veteran David McGoldrick, who managed to bag 17 goals for the Magpies last term. Dennis has 13 goals to his name with 16 starts in his 29 appearances, and one goal above his striking colleague Jatta.
The 23-year-old signed from Carlisle United in the summer and the club’s return on investment has been indisputable.
When he blundered a tap-in with the goal gaping, there were County supporters in disbelief about how he fluffed his lines, and that would have given them breathing room.
Notts County aren’t ones for doing it that way, though. They have got over the line in their last six wins by a one-goal margin.
They almost came to rue missing that sitter as Barrow’s Joe Anderson saw his effort cleared off the line by captain Jacob Bedeau with the clock ticking towards 90 minutes.
A sharp intake of breath and a heroic moment from the stalwart defender, who has started every League Two game this season.
Martin Paterson’s appointment sparked some uproar about whether County could go one step further from their play-off exit with their new boss.
A manager without a CV stocked with credentials chosen as the answer to add the missing clinical edge to County’s game.
Some may argue it has been a shift of mentality at both ends of the pitch, and getting the best out of certain individuals, which has ensured County have now hit a rich vein of form.
Tom Iorpenda’s surging runs and industrious work-rate in the midfield have been an impressive asset for this County side.
Meanwhile, Oliver Norburn is growing into a County shirt. Paterson was tentative to hand him minutes when he first entered the door, but his experienced skillset and physicality are well-equipped for League Two.
Bromley are perched at the summit, restoring their five-point cushion due to a stoppage time winner at Fleetwood Town. This hasn’t quite crushed Notts County’s hopes as the straightforward route to League One requires a spot in any of the top three places.
The two sides collide next Saturday in South East London where Notts County seek to curb Andy Woodman’s fairytale season on Valentine’s Day.
Jatta returning from injury would be a significant boost to fulfilling the objective of closing the gap to the leaders to just two points, and keeping the rest of the chasing pack from catching up.
Barrow condemned to undeserved defeat
From the perspective of the visitors, it was perhaps the closest they have come to getting points on the board under their new manager. An admirable display for a selection of individuals who had been thrown together.
Paul Gallagher took the reins at Barrow at the start of the year and is yet to get them out of the doldrums.
Without a win this year, they remain in a state of stagnancy, teetering above the edge of the relegation zone. In an attempt to rescue their season, the January window was productive.
They acquired Nottingham Forest Under 21’s captain Jack Thompson on loan while Danny Rose and Jovan Malcolm are set to lead the line for a new-look Barrow side desperate to turn a corner.
They rarely produce a winning performance at home, but did overcome Notts County thanks to Lewis Shipley’s last-gasp winner in stoppage time in August.
With five new players entrusted to go toe-to-toe with promotion contenders Notts County on Saturday, it spoke volumes about the approach the club has elected to take going forward.
Like Martin Paterson in the opposing dugout, an accomplished player, but a managerial novice, who is attempting to take his first steps.
As Martin Paterson knows first-hand from his first senior post, relegation scraps are a demanding test of resilience, and every point holds value.
Gallagher’s revamped squad could take time to come into fruition and fall into place seamlessly. Their fate in the fourth tier hangs in the balance, yet it remains in their hands, for now.
The away trip to fellow survival hopefuls Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday evening could be a reality check for Barrow if they come away empty-handed.
Sam Bunce
Featured image courtesy of Jocey Nel. No changes were made to this image.
In article image 1 courtesy of @nottscountyfc via Instagram. No changes were made to this image.
In article image 2 courtesy of @barrowafc via Instagram. No changes were made to this image.
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