Notts County: Cheltenham Town defeat highlights key shortcoming again - it could cost them promotion | OneFootball

The Magpies missed crucial chances to kill a game off yet again on Monday.

Notts County were once again left to rue missed opportunities in front of goal when they were defeated 2-1 by Cheltenham Town on Easter Monday.

After taking the lead on the stroke of half-time, Notts spurned several good opportunities to put the game to bed in the second half, and were ultimately punished when Cheltenham turned the scoreline on its head in the latter stages of the game.

It’s been an issue that has plagued Stuart Maynard’s side all season, especially on home turf, but its effects are likely to have been felt particularly strongly on this occasion, given that the defeat looks to have put paid to any slim chances of automatic promotion that they may still have had.

The Magpies are now six points adrift of the automatic promotion spots with just two games of the season remaining and are still yet to confirm their place in the play-offs.

Missed chances cost Notts again on Monday

In many ways, Monday’s defeat was indicative of Notts’ season at Meadow Lane.

They got themselves in front right at the end of the first half thanks to Alassana Jatta’s 18th league goal of the season, but then couldn’t put themselves out of sight in the second half.

The Magpies totted up a total xG of 2.4, with Jacob Bedeau and Will Jarvis both seeing efforts hit the woodwork.

Maynard’s side paid the price for their shortcomings in front of goal when Jordan Thomas equalised for the visitors 15 minutes from time, before a stunner from Ethon Archer saw Cheltenham snatch all three points in stoppage time.

It’s become an all-too-familiar story at home this season, where Notts have dropped valuable points on several occasions.

While the attacking duo of Jatta and David McGoldrick have been largely excellent (the pair are both among the highest scorers in the division), neither are particularly clinical finishers, and that is reflected in the rest of the team.

The Magpies have missed more big chances than anyone else in League Two, with 66, and have had just 14 different goalscorers, the joint-lowest of any team inside the top seven.

Combine that inability with some poor decision-making in the final third which often leaves the final ball found wanting, and Notts are arguably nowhere as clinical as they could be.

Notts’ automatic promotion hopes are surely over

Where in the past, Maynard’s men have had time on their side when they have failed to kill off a game (in terms of the number of games remaining), on this occasion it has left a bitter feeling surrounding the club.

The Magpies’ hopes of snatching an automatic promotion spot right at the end of the season were always going to require a multitude of things to fall into place for them, but at the very least, winning their games against Cheltenham and Harrogate would have left them with the possibility of benefitting from a miracle on the final day.

With Port Vale, Bradford and Walsall all dropping points, Notts got the first round of results that they desperately needed, only to let themselves down by not taking care of their own business.

While it is still mathematically possible that they could yet claim third spot, it now seems almost certain that their best hope will be the play-offs.

However, after such a crushing blow at this stage of the season, it could be a big ask to salvage enough from the final two games to even secure a play-off berth.

Notts have progressed massively in some areas after their disappointing campaign last time out. Their awful defensive record is a thing of the past, as are their struggles away from home.

However, the minor tactical tweaks that have been made this season have brought their own issues, and it’s hard to shake the feeling that they look likely to have held the team back in the end.

In what has been a typically unpredictable year in the EFL’s basement division, almost every side has had several opportunities presented to them to really pull away from the chasing pack and nail down one of the top three spots.