Today's big moments! ⏪ pic.twitter.com/yqypAkw8Rf
— Notts County FC (@Official_NCFC) April 6, 2024
Notts County secured a long-awaited home victory over Harrogate Town in their most recent League Two match, lifting a huge weight off head coach Stuart Maynard’s shoulders.
Notts County secured a long-awaited home victory over Harrogate Town in their most recent League Two match, lifting a huge weight off head coach Stuart Maynard’s shoulders.
The Magpies had not won at Meadow Lane since their 5-0 triumph over Morecambe in December, and they failed to win in front of their home fans in 2024, with five consecutive defeats.
The relief among the fans was palpable when referee Jacob Miles drew the whistle to signal the end of the game, with that outpouring of emotion spilling out in the form of fist bumps from John Bostock and the Notts head coach, something that had been long desired in NG11.
However, the outcome of the game could have been very different if Fulham loanee Luca Ashby-Hammond hadn’t likely swung the fight in the home team’s favor with his penalty heroics early in the second half.The Magpies had not won at Meadow Lane since their 5-0 triumph over Morecambe in December, and they failed to win in front of their home fans in 2024, with five consecutive defeats.
The relief among the fans was palpable when referee Jacob Miles drew the whistle to signal the end of the game, with that outpouring of emotion spilling out in the form of fist bumps from John Bostock and the Notts head coach, something that had been long desired in NG11.
However, the outcome of the game could have been very different if Fulham loanee Luca Ashby-Hammond hadn’t likely swung the fight in the home team’s favor with his penalty heroics early in the second half.
Macaulay Langstaff scored his 25th league goal of the season from the penalty spot after Aaron Nemane was fouled inside the area, putting the visitors in a position to square the game, which has become all too common for the Magpies this season.
Aden Baldwin’s high foot on Abraham Odoh resulted in Notts conceding their 15th penalty of the season, the most of any side in the top four divisions of English football and five more than the next-placed team, West Ham United.
Twelve of the penalties faced have been scored, and many were expecting the worse considering the team’s recent performance at home and in the league as a whole.
Ashby-Hammond had failed to save any of the three penalties he had faced since his move from Craven Cottage, saying after the game that he was not confident in repelling George Thomson’s shot from 12 yards out.
However, the 23-year-old made a great stop to deny the Harrogate skipper, sliding low to his right to paw the ball away amid a cry of relief and passion from Meadow Lane.
His intervention served as the catalyst for the Magpies to earn a much-needed three points, with Jodi Jones scoring a superb header before a third from Jim O’Brien secured a maiden home win under Maynard’s leadership, which will do him the world of good after a difficult start to his tenure at Meadow Lane.
Ashby-Hammond’s performance at Harrogate should confirm transfer interest
After joining the Cottagers in 2021, the former England youth international has struggled to impress Marco Silva and break into the first team.
During his stint with the Premier League club, Ashby-Hammond was loaned out four times, spending time in the National League with Stockport County and Aldershot Town in 2022/23 before joining Crawley Town at the start of current season.
His season-long loan with Scott Lindsey’s side was cut short due to a lack of appearances, so he joined Notts in January and will stay until the conclusion of the season. Despite not getting a consistent run in the side, with Maynard often changing his starting goalkeeper as he works out his best team, Ashby-Hammond has demonstrated his skill with both gloves and feet.
The 23-year-old has kept two clean sheets in his previous three starts, as well as an assist for Alassana Jatta’s second goal against Bradford City, with having a ball-playing goalkeeper vital to Notts’ method of play.
