3rd tier* League fixture
*Then known as Division Three

Notts County 3      Bristol Rovers 1
Turner 15                                                 Mehew 80
Johnson 66, (pen) 85
 
 

Attendance:- 10,142
Referee:- V. Callow (Shirley, West Midlands)
Weather:- Rain early on, windy
Corners:- Notts 14 Rovers 8
Goal attempts on target:- Notts 7 Rovers 4
Goal attempts off target:- Notts 9 Rovers 1
Bookings:- McClean (Rovers) for dissent
 

Notts County
Colours:- Black and white striped shirts with yellow trim, Black shorts, White socks
League Position:- before match 3rd/24, after match 3rd/24
Manager:- Neil Warnock

1.   Steve Cherry
2.   Charlie Palmer
3.   Nicky Platnauer
4.   Craig Short
5.   Dean Yates
6.   Phil Robinson
7.   Dean Thomas
8.   Phil Turner
9.   Kevin Bartlett
10. Gary Lund
11. Tommy Johnson

Sub not used: Phil Stant
Sub not used: David Norton
 

Bristol Rovers
Colours:- Blue & white quartered shirts, White shorts, Blue socks
League Position:- before match 2nd/24, after match 2nd/24
Manager:- Gerry Francis

1.   Brian Parkin
2.   Ian Alexander
3.   Geoff Twentyman
4.   Steve Yates
5.   David Mehew
6.   Vaughan Jones
7.   Ian Holloway
8.   Andy Reece *
9.   Devon White
10. Carl Saunders
11. Christian McClean

Sub: Paul Nixon *56
Sub not used: Ian Hazel

Video of the match:- A report was shown on 'Central News East' the following day.
 

Nottingham Evening Post Reports

COUNTY CHARGE STUNS ROVERS
MAGPIES MAGIC
By Richard Hobson

Captain Phil Turner led by example with a goal to cap a hard working performance which inspired Notts County to three vital Division Three points against Bristol Rovers. His fierce left-foot shot gave his side the lead, and County never looked like letting Rovers back into the game. Tommy Johnson stretched County's lead and added a third with a penalty after David Mehew, with the most delicate of chips, had pulled a goal back.
Rovers had come from behind to snatch at least a point in seven of their last eight games but County defended so well that there was no chance of a Houdini act at Meadow Lane. So not only has Rovers' 23-match unbeaten run come to an end, but the chase for automatic promotion has been thrown wide open. Assuming that Bristol City are one of the two sides to move into Division Two without the aid of play-offs, it looks like a straight fight between County and Rovers for the second spot. Had the result gone Rovers' way they would have gone eight points ahead of the Magpies, needing just one more to go up. Now the difference is just two points, and with County on a high and Rovers due to play their Bristol rivals next week the Meadow Lane side must have a good chance.

On last night's showing they would not be lost in the Second Division. Phil Robinson and Dean Thomas supported Turner , while Craig Short and Dean Yates formed such a formidable barrier at the back that it took Rovers until a minute before half-time to fire their first shot on target. Up front young Johnson owed his two goals to good work from Kevin Bartlett, while Gary Lund led the line with bravery and, for a big man, no little skill.
Rovers made the early running and won a pair or corners, but both were too high for their target-man, Devon White. Johnson put in Bartlett and central defender Steve Yates slipped to allow Lund a clear strike at goal, but his first time shot just went wide. It was Lund again who forced Bristol's 'keeper Brian Parkin to concede a corner when he let rip an acrobatic scissors kick which was tipped wide. Both Thomas and Robinson came close as Notts forced three corners within two minutes, and it seemed just a matter or time before they went ahead.

The goal duly came in the 15th minute. Turner put Johnson through on the left, the youngster held up play and passed inside to Thomas, who slotted a first time ball through to his captain to fire into the roof or the net with his left foot. County were looking to full-backs Charlie Palmer and Nicky Platnauer to move forward, while the less subtle visitors were content with a string or high, hopeful balls which were causing Yates and Short little trouble. And when Carl Saunders was about to latch onto a through ball, the rangy stride or Yates enabled him to chase back with a vital sliding tackle.

BETTER
Rovers enjoyed possession, but railed to make the most or their openings and their best first half chance came from a long-range Alexander strike which went for a corner off a defender. Gerry Francis's men were out a good two minutes before the re-start, but it was County who made the better start to the second-half. Lund shot wide after doing well to make space and Johnson might have done better when a glorious Thomas ball put him through. - And there was an even better chance for the forward when Steve Cherry's goal kick bounced over the Rovers defence, but it fell on his weaker right foot and although he lobbed Parkin the shot had little power and Yates was able to clear off the line.

Paul Nixon came on for midfielder Ian Holloway and he was immediately in the thick of things, hitting a 10-yard shot which was pushed away for a corner. Johnson moved onto the right flank, and latched onto an accurate ball from Lund to cross to Bartlett who had found space, but from about 10 yards he shot straight at the 'keeper. It was a disappointing effort but Bartlett made amends after 66 minutes with an unselfish bit of play to set up Johnson's first goal. He ran onto a clearance and avoided Vaughan Jones's desperate tackle before drawing the 'keeper and passing to Johnson, who merely tapped into the empty net.

RELIEVED
Rovers were short of inspiration and Christian McClean was booked when be began arguing with the referee who had given a free-kick for a foul on Nicky Platnauer. A long ball in from Alexander appeared to catch Cherry unawares, and as the former Derby 'keeper back-peddled he was relieved to see the ball go over.
But with 10 minutes to go Rovers pulled a goal back. White won the ball from Short and when it came out to Mehew the midfielder looked up before hitting an inch-perfect chip over Cherry. That seemed to stimulate Rovers and County had Platnauer to thank for clearing a McClean shot off the line after a goal-mouth melee. It was a worrying time for County supporters and they breathed a collective sigh of relief when Johnson made the game safe with a penalty five minutes from time. The twisting Bartlett was pulled down by a combination of Yates and Holloway, and Johnson side footed the ball to Parkin's right. He now has 16 goals for the season with the promise of dozens more over what should be a fruitful career. He will be lucky to score any simpler than his brace last night, but equally it might be some time before he hits any more valuable.
 

NOTTS ON THE WAY
MAGPIES BLAST ROVERS
By Richard Hobson

JUBILANT Notts County manager Neil Warnock praised his team after a fighting display which kept them in the hunt for automatic promotion from Division Three. County's 3-1 defeat of Bristol Rovers at Meadow Lane last night took them within two points of Rovers who still lie second, with both sides having three games left. It was the Magpies' seventh win in their last eight games and came as sweet revenge after their controversial exit from the Leyland Oaf Trophy.
But Warnock warned his men to keep their feet firmly on the ground - saying that promotion is a long way off yet. And he also gave a big thumbs-up to the supporters who, he said, showed the club's potential for the first time since his arrival at Meadow Lane.

'CRUCIAL'
County face Wigan away tomorrow then travel to Reading next Thursday before entertaining Mansfield Town tomorrow week. Meanwhile, among Rovers' fixtures is a clash with local rivals Bristol City who are leaders and firm favourites to go up. Said Warnock: "Who knows what will happen? I think Bristol City are home and dry but we are still not there by a long way. We might go and lose at Wigan - you just don't know. This game was crucial and the three points really keep us up there in the hunt. To be honest, I think the score flattered Bristol Rovers a bit. I thought we were better value than 3-1. You have to give them credit for being where they are now and Gerry Francis has done a great job. In fact, I think he is the manager of the season. But we were just the better side on the night.”
Warnock singled out Phil Robinson for special praise, with Phil Turner and Gary Lund not far behind. But there was also a special mention for the supporters. "There were two Notts County sides out there," said Warnock. "There were the players and our supporters. I think for the first time since I arrived here they showed me what the potential is of this club. They could not have been disappointed with what they saw - there was effort and commitment from both sides. Now if we can keep that up, we must be in with a good chance of promotion."
The matter is largeIy in Rovers' hands, for If they win their remaining games they will go up regardless of County's results.
 

‘FANTASTIC CROWD’
VERDICT ON THE BIG MATCH

PHIL TURNER, the Notts skipper who drove his team to victory with an outstanding display: "It's all up to us now. All we can do is keep winning, put pressure on Bristol Rovers and hope they slip up. We have gone nine games undefeated and their is a tremendous confidence within the side. We had a little bit to prove tonight because of what they did to us in the Leyland Daf. It was an excellent performance from everyone. The team showed total commitment and great spirit. The atmosphere created by the crowd was fantastic."
And on his goal…
"It was a great through-ball from Dean Thomas. Nicky Platnauer was screaming for me to leave it because he fancied his first goal for the club. It dropped perfectly and I just hit it sweetly. I don't hit many with my left foot but that was a bit special."

Two-goal hero Tommy Johnson: "They were two fairly simple goals, I suppose - but they all count. "Barts did brilliantly to get round the man. I don't know if he tried to shoot but it came over to me, and I was a bit cautious because it was on my right foot - but it went in. I tried not to think about the penalty so I didn't get nervous. I just hit it and saw it go in."

Rovers' boss Gerry Francis on seeing his side's 23-match unbeaten run ended in such convincing fashion, "Notts deserved to win and I was disappointed with the all-round performance of my players. This was not a different Notts side from the one we beat in the Leyland Daf; they just wanted it more on the night. The defeat hasn't lost us promotion or won Notts promotion. If we win all our remaining games we're up and it's as simple as that."

Up the Maggies footnote:
One of the great night matches at Meadow Lane, played on a Thursday because Notts had a back log of un-played fixtures. This was Notts' 2nd mid-week fixture of the week! (They would play 4 games in 8 days). This Bristol Rovers home match had originally been scheduled for Tuesday 13th February but had been called off only 50 minutes before kick-off following torrential rain. By the time this re-arranged fixture kicked-off, Notts had met Bristol Rovers twice more in the last four of the Associate Members Cup (then sponsored by Leyland Daf), the two leg tie only added more ill feeling between the clubs after Gerry Francis had been quoted as saying "I've never seen a team try to kick so many lumps out of us" at the end of the first league clash back in September. Rovers had won both the league match and the 1st leg of the ASC area final, whilst the 2nd leg had taken place at Meadow Lane only 3 weeks before today's game - almost 11,000 had turned up at the 2nd leg cup match to see referee Brian Hill disallow an 89th minute goal by Phil Stant that would have taken the tie into extra time, nobody in the ground had any idea why the goal had been disallowed (including the Bristol Rovers players) and the referee refused to explain his decision afterwards (presumably he simply didn't fancy extra-time delaying his journey home). Ugly scenes greeted the final whistle as celebrating Rovers fans spilled onto the pitch to be to met with Notts fans seething at being cruelly robbed of a debut appearance at Wembley. Another five figure crowd turned up for this re-match which Notts dominated and won suggesting that they would snatch automatic promotion from Rovers in the final week of the season. That turned out not to be the case, Rovers won their remaining three league matches to take the 3rd Division title and Bristol City finished 2nd with Notts in 3rd. But it was Notts who found themselves in a position to have the last laugh via a play off final at Wembley as Bristol Rovers' season ended in tears with a defeat to Tranmere Rovers in the Wembley Associate Members Cup final on May 20th. Rovers no.9 later became a Notts favourite in the mid 1990's whilst Ian Holloway returned to the Lane as Bristol Rovers' mananger for the explosive match on 09/09/2000.
 

Notts County Season 1989/90
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