Top flight* League fixture
*Then known as Division One

Notts County 5     Aston Villa 2
Christie 8, 73 (pen)                                 Mortimer 53
Chiedozie 16, 79                                     Evans (pen) 89
Harkouk 68
 

Attendance :- 8,960
Referee:-  G.Tyson (Sunderland)
 

Notts County
Colours:- White shirts with black dual pinstripes, Black shorts, White socks
League Position:- before match 19th/22, after match 18th/22
Manager:- Larry Lloyd

1.   Seamus McDonagh
2.   Mark Goodwin
3.   Nigel Worthington
4.   Pedro Richards
5.   David Hunt
6.   Glen Roeder
7.   Martin O'Neill
8.   Justin Fashanu
9.   Trevor Christie
10. Rachid Harkouk
11. John Chiedozie

Sub not used: Ian McParland

Aston Villa
Colours:- Claret shirts with sky blue side panels, White shorts, Sky blue socks
League Position:- before match 6th/22, after match 9th/22
Manager:- Tony Barton

1.   Nigel Spink
2.   Mark Jones
3.   Gary Williams
4.   Allan Evans
5.   Brendan Ormsby
6.   Dennis Mortimer
7.   Paul Birch*
8.   Paul Rideout
9.   Peter Withe
10. Alan Curbishly
11. Colin Gibson

Sub: Mark Walters*

Video of the match:- No TV or video camera was present

Football Post Report

SPARKLING MAGPIES STUN VILLA
Dave McVay at Meadow Lane

TWO GOALS apiece from Trevor Christie and John Chiedozie gave Notts County a richly deserved victory against a lethargic Aston Villa here this afternoon.

Christie scored in the eighth and 73rd minute (pen), and Chiedozie (16 and 79 mins) capped fine individual performances with their efforts. Rachid Harkouk also fired a 68th minute goal after a Dennis Mortimer pile-driver had threatened to drag the visitors back into the game.
Chiedozie provided the early danger for Notts, but Spink collected his right wing cross with some confidence. Villa immediately countered as Spinks' long punt down the middle forced Richards to concede a corner as Rideout tried to burst through. McDonagh was also involved in the incident, and the Eire 'keeper needed some attention before he limped away to carry on his duties. After five minutes, though, Notts might have taken the lead. Worthington's clearance, was flicked on by Christie for Chiedozie to race clear, but although his half-volley was struck firmly from 18-yards, it sailed well over the bar.

INCREASED
The Magpies were rewarded, however, just three minutes later with Harkouk the instigator. Turning up on the right, he played a low ball in for Fashanu, whose side-footed effort was blocked by Ormsby. CHRISTIE was first to react, picking up the scrapings he turned on to his favoured left foot and drove low into the net, via the diving Spinks' legs. As Notts began to apply the pressure, Ormsby received his sixth booking of the season for a challenge on Fashanu after 16 minutes. This took him over the 21-point mark.

Before the kick could be taken, Mortimer also went into referee George Tyson's book for dissent. When the kick was eventually taken, Notts increased their lead. Worthington's cross was cleared only as far as Goodwin. The full-back managed to pick out Christie with a floated centre, his downward header beat the Villa defence and CHIEDOZIE latched on to the 1oose ball to steer home from close range, The visitors were desperate to get back in the game and from their fifth corner of the match, Roeder did well to head clear from inside the six-yard box. It began a spate of Villa corners, but McDonagh grasped the final one to the cheers of the crowd.

County broke out from the pressure and began to play some of' their best football of the season. A superb flowing move involving Worthington, Christie and Fashanu illustrated the home side's growing confidence, Harkouk's final shot being blocked by Ormsby.
Rideout became the third Villa player to be booked after 26 minutes protesting about a foul on the halfway line, Richards followed him five minutes later, this time for a foul on Withe, McDonagh cleanly catching the ensuing free kick. His first-time boot down field found the speedy Chiedozie, but his attempt to set up Harkouk was  blocked by the covering Ormsby.

There had been little seen of Villa as an attacking force with their midfield in particular being overrun by the eager Magpies. However, they constructed their best move of the game eight minutes before half-time when Gibson got away down the left, crossed for Withe who set up a half chance for Mortimer, the midfielder's toe-poke flying narrowly over McDonagh's bar. The same player got in a fierce 25-yarder a couple of minutes later that McDonagh watched, with relief, dip over his bar.
With only three minutes of the half remaining, Gibson came closest to reducing the arrears for his side, arriving late to head narrowly over from Birch's curling cross. Jones and Withe combined a minute before the break to give Birch a chance which Richards deflected just wide.
HALF TIME:
NOTTS COUNTY.... 2
ASTON VILLA........ 0

It was nearly 3-0 less than a minute after the break as Goodwin played a neat ball into Christie’s path, the striker teeing up O'Neill who blasted narrowly wide from 12-yards. Notts were on the attack again as Fashanu released Chiedozie on the right, He took on, and beat Williams, but his cross was headed behind by Evans for the first corner of the half; Worthington's flag-kick fell for Fashanu in the six-yard box, but the ball was somehow scrambled off the line and the danger averted for a goal kick.

Fashanu, having his best game for the club this term, again got Chiedozie away, but this time the Nigerian's cross floated behind Spinks' goal. Fashanu did get the ball in the net after 51 minutes only for his effort to be disallowed for his foul on Evans. Notts were totally dominating affairs at this stage, Fashanu and O'Neill linking superbly to give the Irishman a chance that he drove into the side netting. However, completely against the run of play. Villa pulled a goal back. Gibson fed MORTIMER on the edge of the box eight minutes after the interval and his first time drive left McDonagh with no chance as it hit the back of the net.

A corner five minutes later was the Notts reply, but suddenly the whole nature of the game had changed, Villa were clearly inspired now and the goal had obviously knocked the steam out of County.
Richards recovered in the nick of time to deny Withe, then Goodwin headed off the line after Ormsby had beaten the Notts defence to Mortimer's corner. McDonagh got down well to save from Withe's header but Chiedozie had a marvellous chance to clinch the points, his lobbed effort floating over the bar with Spink helpless.

They didn't have long to wait for that third, though, as O'Neill crossed for Christie to nod back for HARKOUK, who planted a fierce drive into the bottom corner of the net. Walters replaced Birch in the 71st minute as Villa tried to salvage something from the game, but it was Notts who threatened once again. Chiedozie burst through the centre of the Villa defence and his attempted lob was blocked by Williams and referee Tyson pointed immediately to the penalty spot, Evans was booked for protesting about the decision and Christie's first attempt Was kept out by Spink. The referee adjudged the keeper had moved however, and CHRISTIE made no mistake with his second attempt.

To the crowd's delight CHIEDOZIE made it 5-1 with only 11 minutes to go. He beat Spink to an intended Gibson back-pass, rounded the keeper and calmly tapped the ball home. As the final whistle approached the crowd were chanting for a sixth goal, but in fairness they couldn't ask much more of a Notts side that had performed splendidly.
Villa had the chance of a late consolation after Walters had been pulled down in the box by Harkouk and EVANS stepped up to score his sixth goal  of the season from the spot.
RESULT:
NOTTS COUNTY .... 5
ASTON VILLA ........ 2

Up the Maggies footnote:
Notts had moved out of the relegation zone a week earlier thanks to their first victory since August - an excellent 2-0 away win at Southampton. County appeared to have turned the corner with this 2nd successive league win (a 4 match League Cup saga with Birmingham City was also in full swing at the time). The revival was inspired by the loan signing of Glen Roeder, but sadly this match v Villa was to be Roeder's last Meadow Lane appearance before his loan spell came to an end. This match was also the first time I witnessed fisticuffs between rival fans when a group of Villa supporters decided to enter the County Road stand (where Block X now is) before the match started, they were eventually escorted into the away end. After going 5-1 down the same group of Villa fans were clearly intent on staging another fight outside the ground after the final whistle, but I think the police must have kept them locked in. Villa's no.9 had scored the winning goal that won them the 1982 European Cup final and their no.8 later had a spell with Notts.

Notts County Season 1983/84
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