2nd tier* Play off Semi-final 2nd leg
*Then known as Division Two

Notts County 1      Middlesbrough 0
Harding 78
 

Aggregate score:- Notts County 2 Middlesbrough 1

Attendance:- 18,249
Referee:- P. Don (Middlesex)
Weather:- Warm and sunny
Corners:- Notts 8 ‘Boro 5
Goal attempts on target:- Notts 7 ‘Boro 2
Goal attempts off target:- Notts 3 ‘Boro 5
Bookings:- None
 

Notts County
Colours:- Black and white striped shirts with yellow trim, Black shorts, White socks
Final League Position:- 4th/24
Manager:- Neil Warnock

1.   Steve Cherry
2.   Charlie Palmer
3.   Alan Paris
4.   Craig Short
5.   Chris Short
6.   Don O'Riordan
7.   Paul Harding
8.   Phil Turner +
9.   Dave Regis
10. Mark Draper
11. Tommy Johnson *

Sub: Kevin Bartlett *62
Sub: Dean Thomas +75
 

Middlesbrough
Colours:- Red shirts, White shorts, Red socks
Final League Position:- 7th/24
Manager:- Colin Todd

1.   Andy Dibble
2.   Alan Kernaghan
3.   Jimmy Phillips
4.   Tony Mowbray
5.   Simon Coleman
6.   Trevor Putney
7.   Bernie Slaven *
8.   Mark Proctor
9.   Ian Baird
10. Robbie Mustoe
11. John Hendrie

Sub: Martin Russell *81
Sub not used: Gary Parkinson

Video of the match:- Central Television recorded the match for extended highlights to be broadcast later that night. See also Notts on the box - The 1990's.
 

Nottingham Evening Post Reports

MAGGIES MAKE IT
WEMBLEY HERE WE COME AGAIN
By David Stapleton

MIRACLE MAN Neil Warnock steered Notts County to within one match of the First Division last night - 29 months after rescuing them from possible oblivion in the Fourth. And the manager confessed that he almost took Paul Harding off before his goal had earned the Magpies a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough because the player was very tired. Then skipper Phil Turner was injured and Harding stayed on.
But the message was clear as jubilant fans swarmed on to the Meadow Lane pitch to celebrate a remarkable second Wembley appearance in successive years, against Brighton on June 2 - 'The board must keep the boss at all costs'. Warnock has the best results record of any manager in the country over the past two-and-a-half seasons and, inevitably, he is linked with every top job which comes up. Until he signs an improved contract - replacing the present agreement which has two years to run - supporters will continue to have an anxiety complex.
Go ahead chairman Derek Pavis has promised to "fight like hell" to hang on to Warnock, while warning that continuing low gates could be the deciding factor in the matter. Looming large in his mind was the paltry 6,902 for the Ipswich game on May 7. Last nights 18,249 - while no more than Notts deserved for the promotion play-off decider with Middlesbrough - was altogether more heartening. Indeed, the start was delayed by 15 minutes because of big queues at the turnstiles for the all ticket semi-final second leg. It seemed a throwback to another era at Meadow Lane.

TENSION
When the spectators were safely inside, there was little to excite them - until Harding's brilliantly headed goal in 78 minutes, giving the Magpies victory on the night and 2-1 aggregate success. That released all the tension so apparent in teams playing for extremely high stakes. In a final flourish, Notts , could have had more goals - answering the warning of Brighton, who following their 4-1 drubbing of Millwall on Sunday with a 2-1 win at The Den. This, after scoring only twice in their previous seven games.
A bobbly Meadow Lane pitch did not help the players’ control and there had been half an hour of drab sparring when David Regis got his head to Don Q'Riordan's free-kick and watched Andy Dibble pull the ball down from under the bar. John Hendrie put in 'Boro's first shot -wide of Steve Cherry's left hand post -five minutes later. In 38 minutes Mark Draper moved onto a pass from Turner and hit a good, low shot from 20-yards which Dibble pushed clear only with difficulty. 'Boro became the first side to step up a gear at the start of the second half and Charlie Palmer made a crucial interception to prevent Mark Proctor's right wing cross reaching the feet of 20-goal Bernie Slaven, lurking a few yards out.  Slaven, from Simon Coleman's centre, then had a quickly-taken shot safely handled by Cherry.

VERVE
The visitors' added purpose drew a better response from County, with Don O'Riordan unleashing a fierce long-range effort which Dibble got behind. In 62 minutes, Tommy Johnson - who collected a kick on the thigh early in the game and was increasingly handicapped - gave way to Kevin Bartlett, who showed more of the pace and verve which typified his performances earlier in the season. Moments after Cherry had blocked a worthy effort by Robbie Mustoe, Bartlett almost intercepted a Tony Mowbray header back to his 'keeper. County were forced into a second substitution on 75 minutes, when skipper Turner twisted his ankle and Dean Thomas was called up. Thomas slotted into midfield and Harding moved up front - scoring the winner within three minutes of the switch being made. He was fouled by Mowbray down the right and, when Draper sent in a well flighted free-kick, Harding got above the ball superbly to power it down and into Dibble's left hand corner. It was his first goal since he joined Notts from non-League Barnet eight months ago. Inspired, Thomas whipped a left-footer past the near post, David Regis failed to spot Harding as he moved clear in a central situation, and the darting Bartlett got clean through only to have a well-struck shot splendidly saved by Dibble. As Notts came again, Bartlett's perfect cutback - after pace had got him to the left hand byeline - was into Thomas's stride but the drive was hammered at Jimmy Phillips. County, whose success over the two legs was fully merited, were brilliantly served at the back by Craig Short. He made an eye-catching start and his standards never wavered.
 

CUTTING REMARKS
A BUFF coloured cardboard folder contained all the material Notts County needed to reach Wembley, writes DUNCAN HAMILTON. Filed away inside were cuttings from several newspapers quoting Middlesbrough manager Colin Todd. He went on record before Sunday's first leg, claiming 'Boro were "streets ahead" of Notts. Last night Todd's words literally came back to haunt him. Neil Warnock read them out in the dressing room as a way of motivating Notts. There was not a hint of malice in Warnock's, voice, but as the dossier lay on his desk, he did make a point of stressing afterwards: "It's nice to have beaten 'Boro when they’re streets ahead of us. Just as it was nice to have finished 11 points ahead of them." He put the win into perspective by adding: "This result means a lot to our lads. "If you pinned up the team sheets side-by-side I'm sure most neutrals could recognise about half a dozen 'Boro players, yet only a couple of ours. And I suppose, wages for wages, we shouldn't be able to lace 'Boro's boots. Their players are probably on two or three times what our lads earn. But it isn't wages that win you things. We got through on grit and determination."
Warnock was candid enough to reveal he was only minutes away from substituting match-winner Paul Harding. The only thing that stopped him was the twisted ankle suffered by skipper Phil Turner. Harding also moved up front to replace him only because of something his boss remembered. "When I was with Scarborough, he was top goal-scorer at Enfield - tipped to be a world beater up front. That was the first time I ever saw him play, so I said: 'Go on, get up there for us'. He took the goal brilliantly," said Warnock. "But I was going to pull him off before Turner got injured. He was drifting off his man and he was very tired."
Notts' second appearance at Wembley in a year will also mean another walk down the tunnel and across the pitch for Warnock's son James. He led Notts out in the Third Division play-off final and Warnock's superstitious nature means the nine-year-old will be asked to do the job again - just as soon as his dad 'phones Brighton manager Barry Lloyd to make sure the opposition has a mascot as well.
What Brighton definitely have is a goal-scorer Warnock rates as dangerous as anyone. "Mike Small is one of the best strikers in the League. I rank him alongside David Hirst at Sheffield Wednesday." Warnock's initial thoughts, however, were for the Notts supporters. “What we've done is marvellous for them. For ten or 15 years, Forest have been able to do all the shouting - and good luck to them. But we have very loyal fans and I'm delighted as much for them as ourselves."
 

FAIRYTALE GOAL BY PAUL
MAGPIES' match-winner Paul Harding wrote another chapter in his personal Roy of the Rovers story with the brilliantly-headed goal. Yet only eight months ago was a non-league part-timer. The 27-year-old midfielder scored only three minutes after switching up front to the role he loves. He said: "It reminded me of my old scoring days with Enfield when I used to play in attack. I was standing on the edge or the box, I ran in, Mark Draper's free-kick knocked me on the head and in it went -lovely!" For Harding, with Barnet until last September, it will be a second Wembley appearance. He was in the Enfield side which drew 0-0 with Telford in the FA Trophy final - "We won the replay 3-2 at West Bromwich Albion's ground. But going to Wembley for a First Division place is much more exciting. It's the icing on the cake for me. Though it was my first goal for Notts, I'd never been too bothered. As long as I'm doing my job in midfield I'm happy."

Kevin Bartlett, whose effective reappearance as a substitute was a bonus for Notts, said: "It was good to come close to scoring and also lay on a chance. When I dropped out of the side a few weeks ago I was very tired and not doing myself justice. Now I feel sharp and eager again."

Chris Short: "Helping the side reach Wembley was die highlight of my career so far - better than when I helped Scarborough knock Chelsea out of the cup. Whether I play at Wembley is another matter, because Dean Yates is available again after completing his four-match suspension."
 

GOOD LUCK, SAYS TODD
BEATEN 'Boro boss Colin Todd reflected on the change of system which nearly paid off for him. Todd drafted in both Tony Mowbray - back after injury - and Simon Coleman to stiffen the centre of his defence. The tactical ploy came within 12 minutes of forcing Notts into extra time. Todd said: "I thought defensively we really did play well We kept it tight. "Then we go and make the only mistake and concede the goal. It's one of those things... good luck to Notts. "
Todd did not attempt to make excuses for the defeat. All the same, he regards the loss of winger Stuart Ripley with a hamstring strain as a mortal blow to Boro's bid: “He caused Notts problems on Sunday and if be 'd been fit this time I think his extra pace could have put them under pressure. We still managed to make a few chances without him. Bernie Slaven had one and John Hendrie had another. If we'd turned either of them into a goal I'm sure we could have gone on and won it. What we've got to do now is make sure we're set for next season. I didn't say much to the lads in the dressing room. It's an emotional place alter a result like that and you've got to be careful."

Up the Maggies footnote:
The decision to increase the top flight back to 22 clubs meant that there was an extra promotion place up for grabs for this one season only. The top three were automatically promoted whilst 7th would qualify for a play off spot. It was probably beneficial to Notts that 3rd placed finishers Sheffield Wednesday were not involved in the play off's and I think most of us were also relieved (for very different reasons) that we probably wouldn't have to face Millwall in the final after Brighton had beaten them 4-1 in the other semi-final 1st leg. Middlesbrough obviously fancied themselves against Notts, being the bigger club, but once Notts had come away from Ayresome Park with a draw their regular travelling supporters must have feared the worst as they had lost all of their last 5 away games without scoring a single goal. The 2nd leg was a very poor game in terms of entertainment, but I don't think too many people really noticed because the tension ensured that the crowd were fully engrossed from beginning to end. "You 'pies, you 'pies, you 'pies" was heard more than any other chant that night, this being a then fairly recent addition to the County Road repertoire having been nicked from the City Ground where "You Reds" had been a celebratory mantra in honour of what turned out to be Brian Clough's swan-song - Having won the League Cup again, Clough had just taken the Reds to their first FA Cup final since 1959, but that had all ended in tears thanks to Des Walker's own goal just 4 days before Notts' play off semi 2nd leg. It was now up to Notts to carry the flag for Nottingham at Wembley and return home with the right result.

Notts County Season 1990/91
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