League Cup* 2nd Round 1st Leg
*Then known as "The Littlewoods Cup", Littlewoods being the sponsor of the competition.

Notts County 1     Tottenham Hotspur 1
Birtles 46                                               Samways 75
 
 

Attendance:- 9,279
Referee:- Howard Taylor (York)
Corners:- Notts 5 Spurs 8
Shots on target:- Notts 3 Spurs 3
Shots off target:- Notts 4 Spurs 1
Bookings:- Gascoigne (Spurs) & Walsh (Spurs)
 

Notts County
Colours:- Black & white striped shirts, Black shorts, Black socks
League Position:- 18th/24 in the 3rd tier
Manager: John Barnwell

1.   Mick Leonard
2.   Willie McStay
3.   Chris Withe
4.   David Kevan
5.   Dean Yates
6.   Nicky Law
7.   Gary Mills
8.   Ian McParland
9.   Garry Birtles *
10. Geoff Pike
11. Adrian Thorpe

Sub: Tommy Johnson *70
Sub not used: Wayne Fairclough
 

Tottenham Hotspur
Colours:- All yellow
League Position:- 15th/20 in the top flight
Manager: Terry Venables (who was not at this match)

1.   Bobby Mimms
2.   Brian Statham
3.   Mitchell Thomas
4.   Terry Fenwick
5.   Chris Fairclough
6.   Gary Mabbutt
7.   Paul Allen
8.   Paul Gascoigne
9.   Chris Waddle
10. Vinny Samways
11. Paul Walsh

Sub not used: Mark Stimson
Sub not used: David Howells

Video of the match:- Central News East's 1min 22sec report showed; McParland for Notts finding Thorpe who's dangerous cross is hacked clear by the Spurs defence / Paul Gascoigne taking on several Notts defenders in midfield / Gascoigne on another run to the byline / County attack through Mills who crosses from the right but Pike is unable to latch on to it properly / Chris Waddle breaking clear for Spurs but Mick Leonard saves his finishing effort / 2nd half; A Notts corner finds its' way to Birtles who's downwards drive on the half-volley bounces past the Spurs keeper for 1-0 / Mills' ball into the Spurs box is brilliantly headed towards goal by Pike only for Mimms to make a fine save / Spurs move the ball from left to right in a series of passes that sees Samways side foot the ball past Leonard for the equaliser / Mills' curling free kick for Notts comes back off the crossbar.

Nottingham Evening Post Report

BRILLIANT BIRTLES
By David Stapleton

BRAVE NOTTS County put their League form behind them and almost embarrassed Spurs' aristocrats in last night's Littlewoods Cup showdown at Meadow Lane. John Barnwell's Third Division men matched their big-spending rivals in the finer points of the game, and even managed to 1ook the better side. And only a cruel piece of irony 15 minutes from time cost County the chance of taking what might have been a clear lead to White Hart Lane next month. They were a goal up, through rejuvenated Garry Birtles in 46 minutes, when Gary Mills swung an inch-perfect ball onto the head of Geoff Pike 15 yards out - The midfielder flexed his neck muscles and exploded a header that looked certain to find the corner of the net until Bobby Mirnms somehow got across to his left and clawed the ball out. It was a sensational save by the goalkeeper who spent a month's loan at Notts ...and instead of being 2-0 down and on the rack, Spurs swept straight upfield to equalise.

The talented and temperamental Paul Gascoigne took a quick free-kick that Notts disputed. Chris Waddle played the ball inside to Paul Allen, who fed it wide on the right to Vinny Samways. Spurs' 19 year old midfielder curled the sweetest of angled shots low into the corner with his left-foot. Even then, Mills hoisted a free-kick onto the top of the far post as Mirnms stood and watched - but there was no denying that the 'keeper had already won his badge for heroism.

The second half, fired by Birtles' first goal of the season, was more reminiscent of a cup-tie than the first. Dean Yates, no doubt the centre of attention for watching Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, Liverpool's Ron Yeats and a veritable possee of Division One clubs, did get in a brilliant interception to prevent Waddle bursting clear in only five minutes. Then, in 29 minutes, lovely skills by Gascoigne in which he beat three defenders on a sixpence inside the box set up a chance for Waddle, only for him to sidefoot weakly at Leonard from ten yards. Five minutes later Paul Walsh slipped Waddle through again with a gem of a ball, which Leonard stretched marvellously to his left to paw aside.

But still Spurs showed little shape, though Notts had something to do with that. They knocked the ball about with a style that made a mockery of their recent League form, most notably last Saturday's abject performance against Preston. Back in favour skipper Pike helped restore rhythm to the midfield, though he missed a fine chance of giving Notts the lead in 24 minutes, seeming to get his legs tangled up when Mills supplied the cross eight yards out.

Birtles also showed his First Division pedigree after being left out of the Preston match. His goal followed an Adrian Thorpe comer that wasn't cleared, the striker putting a low left-foot half volley into the comer. When he was substituted in 70 minutes, because of a dead leg sustained much earlier, it was to a great reception from the fans. That was no more than the team deserved, and they can go to the October 11 second leg in North London with heads held high.

‘BACK ON THE ROAD’

NOTTS MANAGER JOHN BARNWELL: "We did enough to win it and we're a bit disappointed. We got slightly unbalanced, arguing over the merits of a free-kick and they made us pay for it with the equaliser. But we made friends again with ourselves and with our supporters. We didn't kick Spurs off the park, but played football and created chances. Now we have got back on the road again after losing our way in the League. Garry Birtles, Gary Mills and Geoff Pike showed they are still capable of playing First Division football and Dean Yates is certainly capable of it. The discipline of the back four for the majority of the game was a feature. I was also especially pleased with Ian McParland, who looked very sharp again up front."

GARRY BIRTLES: "I was delighted to get on the scoresheet at last. Following Adrian Thorpe's corner the ball dropped off the back of a Spurs' defender and I managed to catch it on the half volley with my left foot. It was a nice feeling to play against a First Division side again and I thought we did well. The main thing was that the team hit some form again."

ALAN HARRIS (Spurs' assistant manager in charge of the team because boss Terry Venables was player-hunting at the Bournemouth-Coventry tie): "We're happy with the result, though we won't be under-estimating Notts in the second leg at our place. They play good football and look to be in an utterly false position in their Division."

Notts Reserves team to meet Mansfield Reserves in tonight's Central League game at Meadow Lane (7pm) is: Davison, Jackson, Walker, O'Riordan, Hart, Atkin, Johnson, Barnes, Land, Fairclough, Draper. Subs to be named.
 
 

Up the Maggies footnote:
This was Paul Gascoigne's one and only appearance at Meadow Lane. Although it was to be another two years before Gascoigne became a globally famous World Cup star, he was already a huge celebrity in England having recently joined Spurs from Newcastle United. It was still customary for opposing fans to throw Mars bars onto the pitch whenever 'Gazza' was in town because of an apparent weight problem attributed to his predilection for this particular confectionery, I remember seeing one or two Mars bars landing by the touchline that night. Notts own legend Tommy Johnson made only his 2nd first team appearance in this cup tie by coming on as a sub (his debut was also a substitute appearance just three days earlier Vs. Preston North End), I remember people actually laughing in the crowd as he came on - he was so skinny that he looked more like a ball-boy than a player! The match itself was hugely entertaining, supporters were leaving the ground saying that it had been the best game they had seen at Meadow Lane for years. It was a shame that 2nd round ties were still being settled over two legs as I'd have fancied our chances of winning had we played extra-time, but the big clubs were still taking the League cup very seriously in 1988 as the UEFA ban was still preventing English clubs from participating in European competitions, therefore all top flight clubs entered the League Cup at the 2nd round stage with the two-leg ties ensuring that there would be very few upsets - Indeed, Notts went on to lose the 2nd leg at White Hart Lane 2-1. The tie turned out to be yet another bothersome distraction from County's promotion aspirations, it was obvious that the players had their minds on the Spurs game during the dire goalless Saturday home draw with Preston, whilst another poor home draw - this time with Chester - was played only two days before the return leg. The enthralling cup ties with Spurs also compounded the frustration that everyone at the club felt at being stuck in the 3rd tier for yet another season playing against teams employing spoiler tactics to thwart Notts attempts at playing free flowing football. Against Spurs, County had now proved that they could have mixed comfortably alongside classier opposition, but they had a problem pushing their way past the more crude members of the football league to reach the stage they so desperately craved. Once they had been knocked out of the cup, the return to the drudgery of life in the 3rd tier saw Notts wilt and wither as they set upon an eight-match winless run that not only left Notts dangerously close to the foot of the table, it also cost manager John Barnwell his job.

Notts County Season 1988/89
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