2nd tier* League fixture
*Then known as Division One

Notts County 2     Nottingham Forest 1
McSwegan 55                                        Phillips 84
Palmer 86
 

Attendance :- 18,655
Referee:-  P Don (Middlesex)
Weather:- Dry
Corners:- Notts 3 Forest 14
Goal attempts on target:- Notts 4 Forest 4
Goal attempts off target:- Notts 7 Forest 5
Bookings:- Johnson, Sherlock, Legg and Devlin (Notts) all fouls, Cooper (Forest) for a foul.
 

Notts County
Colours:- Black & white striped shirts, Black shorts, White socks
League Position:- before match 15th/24, after match 13th/24
Manager:- Mick Walker

1.   Steve Cherry
2.   Charlie Palmer
3.   Paul Sherlock *
4.   Phil Turner
5.   Colin Foster
6.   Michael Johnson
7.   Paul Devlin
8.   Mark Draper
9.   Gary Lund
10. Peter Reid
11. Gary McSwegan

Sub: Andy Legg *45
Subs not used: Bob Catlin (GK) and Meindert Dijkstra

Nottingham Forest
Colours:- All Red
League Position:- before match 3rd/24, after match 6th/24
Manager:- Frank Clark

1.   Mark Crossley
2.   Des Lyttle
3.   Stuart Pearce
4.   Colin Cooper
5.   Steve Chettle
6.   Steve Stone *
7.   David Phillips
8.   Scot Gemmill
9.   Lars Bohinen
10. Lee Glover
11. Kingsley Black

Sub:   Gary Bull *79
Subs not used: Neil Webb and ?

Up the Maggies note:
One of THE legendary matches at Meadow Lane. Forest crossed the Trent seeking to set a new club record of six away wins on the bounce, but that looked unlikely once Gary McSwegan had put Notts ahead with a superb individual effort. Forest thought they had at least earned a draw with a late equaliser, Notts then promptly went up the other end and scored the winner. Never have I celebrated a goal so wildly, before or since.
 

Video of the match:- Recorded by Central Television but only for a brief goals report. The whole match was later made available on a home VHS video with a commentary.
 

Nottingham Evening Post Report

BUOYANT MAGPIES FLYING TOWARDS PROMOTION PACK
By David Stapleton

Notts County’s sensational, deserved derby win kept up the trend of half time transformations in clashes with Nottingham Forest and increased hopes that they can also figure in the First Division promotion chase. The Magpies, now within seven points of their fancied neighbours, will feel the gap is far from unassailable on Saturday's evidence at Meadow Lane. County exercised greater control of the second half than did Forest of the first period. They created the better chances, forced Mark Crossley to the more demanding saves, and had the majority of the near misses - Gary McSwegan might have scored a hat-trick. When defender Charlie Palmer headed the 86th minute winner -his first goal for two seasons and his first in the League since 1990 -it sealed an admirable tactical triumph for manager Mick Walker.

At half time he withdrew youngster Paul Sherlock, under orders to do a ball winning job in midfield, and sent on Andy Legg in the belief that his natural attacking instincts might cause Forest's Norwegian artist Lars Bohinen to do more defending.
The result was that easily the Reds , biggest creative influence of the first half seldom looked like posing the same subsequent threat. Now the last four league meetings of Notts and Forest would appear to have been heavily influenced by interval decisions and deliberations which only the fly on the dressing-room wall has been privy to.

Two seasons ago, when both clubs were in the top flight Forest won at Meadow Lane after a goalless first half which County controlled. The City Ground return was dominated by Forest for 45 minutes, but Notts pulled back a half time deficit to draw 1-1. Last October, across the river, County had the better of the opening half, only to surrender control and go down to Stan Collymore's lone goal.
Now, Walker has made the score 2-2 on tactical expertise with the ploy which brought Notts their first League victory over Forest for 12 years. It also succeeded in pumping more entertainment into a game almost bereft of incident in the opening 45 minutes. Crossley made the first of three superb saves to deny Gary Lund early on, but Forest - despite suggesting they would take clear command - failed to draw a single stop from Steve Cherry in their better first half. Bohinen had the best chance, failing to make contact on the line from Des Lyttle's cross.

Significantly, Notts cut open Forest's defence only three minutes into the second half, but Crossley again showed his merit by denying McSwegan. The Scottish striker then hit a post before putting County into their 55th minute lead with his 11th goal of the season. Michael Johnson, switched to left back, deserved credit for a good ball forward, enabling McSwegan to cut inside both Steve Chettle and Colin Cooper and smash a low shot past Crossley.

Forest, it seemed, might have been awarded a penalty two minutes later when Colin Foster appeared to put a hand on Stuart Pearce's cross. They were also unfortunate in the 64th minute when a Lee Glover header looked destined for the net until it struck team- mate Cooper and went over the top. But Lund, with two headers, hinted at Forest's inability to defend inside their own box before the Palmer winner. Forest's 84th minute equaliser came when it was least expected. Pearce did well to get into the box, but his shot rebounded conveniently for, David Phillips.

It seemed that the side would stretch its record of 13 League away games without defeat until Mark Draper's precision free-kick was emphatically finished off by Palmer. On the day it was hard to pinpoint a truly convincing Forest outfield performer. Paradoxically, Notts had several successes. Foster and skipper Phil Turner were outstanding at the heart of defence, Palmer and Johnson completed a good back four, veteran Peter Reid was a growing midfield influence on his home debut and McSwegan' s goal was reward for a bright second half. It was further proof that the points went the right way.
 

Ten moments that turned the Nottingham derby
2 Mins - Mark Crossley makes a point blank save to deny Gary Lund from ten yards following phil turners free kick.
12 Mins - Colin Foster produces a perfectly timed tackle to prevent Scott Gemmill opening the scoring.
40 Mins - Lars Bohinen could have put Forest ahead but failed to apply the finishing touch to Steve Stone’s cross from under the crossbar.
48 Mins - Crossley makes a fantastic double save to twice deny Gary McSwegan after Peter Reid’s long ball split open the Forest defence.
51 Mins - McSwegan outpaces Colin Cooper and tricks his way past the Forest defender inside the box only to see his right foot shot cannon back off the post.
55 Mins - GOAL!!!!!!! McSwegan tricks his way past Steve Chettle and cuts inside Cooper and this time his low right foot shot finds the bottom corner to put Notts ahead.
57 Mins - Stuart Pearce crosses low into the box. Forest claim a penalty as Foster, falling with Glover, is said to have handled the ball. The Referee is having none of it.
78 Mins - Steve Cherry makes his first real save keeping out Glover’s shot on the turn following Bohinen’s throw in.
85 Mins - Pearce drives in a low shot which Cherry can only parry, Michael Johnson can’t make the clearance and David Phillips arrives at the far post to tap in the equaliser at the Meadow lane end.
86 Mins - GOAL!!!!!!! Chettle fouls McSwegan on the edge of the Forest box and at the second attempt Mark Draper swings in the free kick for Charlie Palmer to head the winner right in front of the visting specatators seated in the kop stand.
 

WHAT THE MANAGERS THOUGHT
MICK WALKER: “It’s the best result since I took over as Notts manager… though I wouldn’t say the performance was outstanding. It was the best result because of the satisfaction derived from the fact we’ve been the city’s underdogs for many years.”

FRANK CLARK: “I didn’t think we played that badly, but we didn’t show enough quality around their box. Then having got back into the game we got caught by a sucker punch. It looked even worse when I saw it a second time on TV.”
 

PEARCE MAKES PEACE
By Ian Edwards

NOTTINGHAM FOREST skipper Stuart Pearce today sent a 'no hard feelings' message to Notts County boss Mick Walker. Walker has made an apology to the England defender. And Pearce immediately defused the situation when he said: "I'm more concerned about having lost the match than anything Mick may have done. I never saw him make any kind of gesture - and, anyway, I've faced far worse things, and been called far worse things, in my time. I'm sure there was no malice on Mick's part. As far as I'm concerned, it's over and I don't hold anything against him."
The derby flashpoint was sparked by a Paul Devlin challenge on Kingsley Black. Walker's response followed a Pearce tackle seconds later directly in front of the Notts dug-out. Pearce went on: "There were a few tackles flying about and Mick started shouting. I just told him to shut up and he laughed. After that I don't know what happened because I had my back to him, and frankly I'm not bothered." Walker thanked Pearce for his understanding. He said: "Stuart is a pro. of the highest calibre. I have always said about him that he takes it as well as he gives it out." The Notts manager was full of remorse after the incident. He said: "I shouldn't have done it and I regret it. It was just one of those things. Everything happened in the heat of the moment." Walker is fortunate to have escaped an official complaint which could have lead to disciplinary action from the Football Association. Forest boss Frank Clark, who had a clear view of the incident from the directors' box, was obviously upset with a fellow manager making such a signal. He said: "I thought the referee and linesmen both missed a bad challenge on Kingsley Black and the skipper was annoyed about that. I'd rather not comment any further."
 

"The Pie" fanzine interviewed Charlie Palmer about the goal in 2001......
"After the free kick was awarded I made my way into the box. I gave Drapes a quick glance, indicating where I wanted to put the ball. After the referee ordered us to retake the kick I just walked back, without looking at Drapes. Instinctively I just attacked the space and managed to get ahead of Pearce. I knew it was in as soon as it left my head. All I can remember thinking was how I had managed to out jump Pearcy. Before I knew it I was running down the touchline with my arms doing all sorts of things. To be honest it was probably a release of some frustration, as the things had turned a bit sour for me at Notts.
Not being from Nottingham, I did not realise the enormity of the goal until I met up with some of the other players on the following Monday. A lot of the younger players (Drapes, Tommy etc) were full of stories about going out on the Saturday and having drinks bought for them all night. They could not understand why I had gone home straight after the game!"
 

See also Trentside Derby's
Notts County Season 1993/94
Up the Maggies home page