FA Cup needs to be turning point for Notts County to avoid Bristol Rovers fate | OneFootball

Jevani Brown's two-goal performance in the FA Cup must spark an improvement in the forward's form.

Key Takeaways

Notts County need to get more out of Jevani Brown after the attacker produced a promising performance in the FA Cup last weekend.

The 30-year-old scored his first two goals in Notts colours as the Magpies pulled off a four-goal second half display to ease past Alfreton Town and into the second round of the cup.

Brown was impressive in the 5-1 victory and while it was only against National League North opposition, it will hopefully act as a springboard for his performances to continue improving.

After a disappointing start to his time at Meadow Lane, Notts will be hoping to unlock Brown further and replicate the kind of form that made him so effective for Exeter City in League One.

Notts must get more out of Brown to avoid Bristol Rovers repeat

Brown has been ineffective so far during his time in Nottingham. He’s cut a frustrated figure at times and has looked like a player short of confidence.

However, he scored his first two goals of the season in the latter stages of last week’s game and also layed on two assists, one of which was an inch perfect through ball for Alassana Jatta to notch his second of the night.

Brown’s performance against Alfreton was the first sign of him beginning to match the level that made him such a big threat during his time at Exeter. This was something Stuart Maynard picked up on after the game, saying that people were: "Starting to see what he's (Brown) about.

"We know what we've got, and we know the ability he has, we also knew that it was going to take time."

Brown moved to Devon in 2021 and scored seven league goals as the Grecians won promotion to League One in his first season, and his most impressive numbers were still to come.

The following season, the former Cambridge United man netted 12 times in just 27 games in League One, an incredibly good return for someone who has never really been an out-and-out number nine.

From there, the forward moved to Bristol Rovers, from whom he’s now on loan at Notts for the season.

His time in Bristol saw his career hit the buffers somewhat. Brown scored just once in 33 league games as the Gas laboured to a 15th placed finish.

Brown’s move to Bristol just never worked out and Notts need to avoid the same being said about them.

There is undoubtedly top class ability there, but Magpies fans will have been expecting so much more than what they’ve seen so far. His performance in the cup last weekend needs to mark the start of Notts’ seeing a more energetic and threatening version of Brown.

Brown could become the third regular goalscorer that Notts need

One of the only slight criticisms that anyone at Meadow Lane has of Stuart Maynard’s side right now is that they are perhaps slightly too reliant on Jatta and David McGoldrick for their goals.

The attacking duo have provided over half of Notts’ 22 league goals so far in 2024/25 and with McGoldrick’s minutes needing to be managed effectively over the course of the season, he simply can’t play every game.

Similarly, Jatta’s absence was sorely missed when he suffered from concussion symptoms in the early stages of the season.

Third-top scorer Jodi Jones is out injured and Dan Crowley’s goal output has been reduced as a result of him being forced into playing a deeper role through the injuries Notts have sustained.

The only other players who have scored in the league for the Magpies are Matty Platt and Scott Robertson, but neither of them will be a regular source of goals.

But Brown could provide the crucial third goalscorer that Notts need.

While he hasn’t looked like being a viable option as Notts’ third out-and-out number nine (his best performances have instead come while playing behind a striker), Brown certainly has the credentials to be a regular goalscorer at League Two level once again.

If he can find form and start hitting the back of the net, it will lift some of the burden off the duo of Jatta and McGoldrick.