During Stuart Maynard’s early years at the club, Notts County’s slim chances of making it to the League Two play-offs were virtually dashed on Tuesday night with yet another crushing loss to Crawley Town.
Twenty minutes into the match, Sam Austin gave the Magpies the lead with a goal on his return to the team. However, Scott Robertson received his second yellow card of the game halfway through the second half, forcing Notts to play the rest of the match with ten men.
The hosts equalised through Klaidi Lolos in just seven minutes, and then Ade Adeyemo scored a few minutes later, sending Maynard to his fifth straight loss since moving to Meadow Lane in January.
Given how well Notts began the season under new Swansea City manager Luke Williams, it is impressive where the team is now positioned in the League Two standings.
When Maynard joined the team, they were fighting for a spot in the automatic promotion spots and were fifth in the table. However, since then, they have had the worst form in the division, with just four points out of a possible 29 in their first nine games—the lowest in the league right now.
Maynard did have a rough start to that nine-game run, facing Wrexham, Crewe Alexandra, and Mansfield Town all in quick succession, but a devastating loss that sent him to the bottom of the table Notts’ season-long run without a home victory at Meadow Lane began in 2024 when Sutton United, who have scored 25% of their goals against them, defeated AFC Wimbledon 2-0 the previous weekend.
Scott Robertson will take the blame for Crawley defeat, but it overshadows deeper issues
Scott Robertson was unnecessarily sent off for two yellow cards that evening, and he will now miss the Magpies’ away trip to Accrington Stanley this coming weekend. This is what happens when you know your manager is under pressure due to recent results.
Although the 22-year-old had a strong start to life at Meadow Lane, it is yet another disappointing defeat. However, match practice and sharpness will eventually overcome his inexperience in supporting his team and knowing when to control your emotions during a closely contested match.
The midfielder will be held accountable for the Magpies’ surrender in the final five minutes of the second half at Checkatrade.com Stadium, but considering the game statistics that evening, it was hard to envision a different outcome.
Notts are almost the team with the most goals conceded this season, despite being the second-highest scoring team in the division, and they could have given up more if Sam Slocombe hadn’t put on a standout performance. The 35-year-old put on one of his best performances for the Magpies that evening with 12 saves.
The majority of Maynard’s team’s 31 shots on goal came when they had 11 men on the pitch. They could not stop Crawley, and when Robertson’s dismissal was confirmed, the sequence of events would inevitably continue, leading to the home team’s eventual goal.
But the removal of the Scottish midfielder also forced the Notts coach to make a defensive substitution in an attempt to hold onto the lead. He took the place of Charlie Colkett and Tobi Adebayo, two of his best attacking options, in favour of Jodi Jones and Dan Crowley. Maynard’s strategy of starting players who give you everything when out of possession makes sense.
However, neither of these players had made a consistent appearance. Since Maynard’s arrival, Adebayo has been limited to substitute appearances, playing just one minute in their 5-5 draw with Grimsby Town, while Colkett has not yet played a minute since arriving from Crewe Alexandra.
The deeper issues with the current Meadow Lane playing squad will be overshadowed by the red card. It will be interesting to see if Maynard is given the summer to address those issues, or if the club’s decline in League Two could cause his first full-time managerial stint to end sooner than expected.
