Notts County booed off after having automatic promotion hopes dented by Salford

Notts County were booed off by their fans after having their automatic promotion hopes dented by Salford City on Friday night.

The Magpies’ hopes of edging closer to the top three were further diminished after a loss to Salford, who boosted their playoff hopes at Meadow Lane.

Salford’s Kelly N’Mai was pivotal, assisting Cole Stockton’s goal in first-half stoppage time and scoring himself in the 53rd minute.

Notts County’s David McGoldrick got one back in the 67th minute, but Salford’s Luke Garbutt sealed the victory with a strike in the 77th minute, bringing Salford within four points of the League Two playoff places.

Notts County manager Stuart Maynard, per Gazette Herald: “It’s frustrating in the way we conceded the goals,” Maynard said.

“It’s very unlike us. I think we’ve only conceded three shots on target in our last four games, so to concede three goals is very frustrating.

“I thought they were the better team in the first half especially and when they scored the first goal before coming in at half-time, it’s a real kick in the teeth.

“Then they come out and score again just six minutes into the second half.

“We just need to keep going one game at a time, there’s a lot of points to play for.

“The fans are massive, we need them right behind us. They’ve been incredible all season, they’ve been our 12th man.

“We all need to stick together now and go again.”

Salford’s win moved them to within four points of the play-off places.

Ammies manager Karl Robinson said: “I don’t think we are that far off it when our best players are fit,” he said.

“We’ve lost three players for the season but you can’t rely on luck.

“Today, our players showed a wonderful performance and a calmness in what we do. I don’t think it gets much better.

“I think we showed multiple facets of our game. Not just in how we defend but how we played in possession as well.”

On N’Mai, he added: “We’ve got probably one of the best players in the league, I said a million quid last week.

“He’s just put half a million on his price tag.

“I don’t think there are many better players than him. He’s a magician.”

Twitter users reacted with Notts County booed off after having automatic promotion hopes dented by Salford…

@HawksieNo1: I look forward to hearing Maynard’s summary 🙄On my bingo card for his first words… “Frustrating”.

@Ryannn_NCFC: Promotion is completely out of the window. Goodbye Stuart, please do the right thing and walk 👍

@haydendudley: Palmer & Maynard are NOT leaders. Not even close. Home record and attitude this year has been dreadful. League position inflated massively by Didzy and Abbott wonder moments. Lost every crucial game. Time is up.

@kencar66: Maynard can’t survive that performance. If he isn’t sacked then it’s time to question the owner’s ambitions.

@BigTom0491: That was embarrassing!! I seen some dross under Thommo and Charlie but that was beyond bad, no effort, no urgency nothing!

@Danny40906984: Slept on it and I feel even worse about that performance last night. Disgraceful

@SKncfc94: Was never going to work, how you give a nobody his first professional job in football and expect him to get us up is beyond belief. Sack him now and we still have a chance..

@Danny40906984: That performance was an embarrassment, devoid of any passion and desire. You got your wish telling the players to play with no emotion they certainly did that. 10k fans on a Friday night don’t deserve to sit through that.

@notts_twit: Emotionless and uninspiring and he has his team playing in his image.

@CallumBramwell: That post match interview should be enough reason alone to sack him, absolute embarrassment, focusing on the goals when the whole 90 minutes was a shambles, totally missed the point again Stu

@Marcelomadness: Earliest I’ve ever left a Notts game tonight. The Kop was well up for it tonight, just a shame the team wasn’t. Sucked the atmosphere right out the stadium.

@DanLegohead: Where’s the corner flag? That is a really poor interview, which isn’t particularly new from him. How does he have the nerve to have a squad of players with so much talent and coached all emotion and creativity out of a them.

@gaz_dude: Best thing for us is to drop out of the playoffs (we have zero chance of winning them anyway) so we can get rid and start again next season.. Reedtz experiment has failed, learn from this and get it right next season. COYP

@ChappersSenior: 11 points from the last 30 available isn’t a blip, it’s a side that’s struggling in this league and that’s what we are. Probably end the season with 15 from last 42 available – near relegation form I guess. Difficult times I’m afraid

@Mark_Cumbo: Out battled and outfought, a really poor performance by soo many. So many questions I don’t know where to start. How many points do we win off teams in the top 10? Players didn’t look interested, something not right, this season is surely a massive missed opportunity! #COYP.

@adamjamesred: First half. Come out flat again. Go behind. Try & play a different way. Fail. Good, talented footballers having every bit of skill and creativity stymied in order to execute Maynard’s system. It’s not working. Defeat in the Play Offs is inevitable. What a waste of a season.