Magpies left-back Alan Sheehan spoke to his club's official website ahead of his side's League One game against Carlisle at Brunton Park tomorrow, Sheehan hoping for three points from the match:
“It is a long season, 46 games, and you are not going to win them all but when you lose a game you obviously want to get back to winning ways as soon as possible. That is really how we all feel, we haven’t won in the last three and we don’t want to make it four. But, now teams are coming to Notts County knowing we are going to be up there at the end of the year so they are going to have to put it all in. Some teams will probably raise their game to play against us, so we have got to be professional and thrive on that.
“On the first day of the season last year we went in 3-0 up at half-time at Carlisle and it was a dream scenario. But, Carlisle is always a tough game, every game is tough in this division, I know we say it every week but we have just got to go out there, play our own game and try to get the three points. Things haven’t changed, teams have come and sat back against us, Tranmere was a game that really showed why they are top of the league as they are the best team we have played so far. I think the fans have got to be with us and we have got to stick together as Saturday was probably the first time we played a team that was the better team.”
Meanwhile fellow left-back Jordan Stewart told the Magpies official website:
“It’s a great club with lots of good players and I’ve seen that everyone wants the ball. They want to pass the ball and even in the Championship some teams are more direct but I think it will stand us in good stead. Hopefully we can bounce back and I don’t see no reason why the team can’t get promoted this year. Sometimes defeats like Tranmere is when you learn the most about your team and about the players around you. We need to go into this weekend’s game and try to correct the mistakes we’ve made. Hopefully we can progress and win more games.”
In team news for the Magpies tomorrow they look likely to have four players absent through injury, in right-back Julian Kelly, central midfielder Joss Labadie, centre-half Manny Smith and left-sided utility player Tom Williams. Kelly struggling with a hamstring problem, Labadie out after picking up a knee ligament injury earlier this month, Smith sidelined with his own knee problem, while finally Williams is missing with a thigh strain.
Meanwhile, Notts are also waiting to have Jamaican international left-back Damion Stewart available for selection, the Magpies hoping to sign the 32-year old free agent who was last with Bristol City, only to be beset by work permit problems with Stewart having been released by the Robins at the end of August. In better news for Magpies boss Keith Curle though he does have another left-back in his matchday squad after Alan Sheehan saw out a one-match suspension in last Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat against table-topping Tranmere.
The referee for tomorrow afternoon’s match is Stuart Attwell from Nuneaton in Warwickshire and he will be assisted down the lines by Michael Denton from Todmorden on the Lancashire/West Yorkshire border and Nick Greenhalgh from Bury. Meanwhile the fourth official is Tony Peart from Northallerton in North Yorkshire.