Notts County head coach Stuart Maynard insists his team must put the disappointment of missing out on automatic promotion behind them to taste play-off triumph.
The Magpies entertained Doncaster Rovers on the final day knowing that only a victory would keep alive their hopes of a top three finish. However, they fell to a 2-1 defeat at Meadow Lane and had to watch on as their opponents lifted the League Two title.
As it happens, a win wouldn’t have been enough anyway, with both Bradford City and Walsall picking up three points to maintain their position. The only disappointment is that the defeat allowed AFC Wimbledon to leapfrog them into fifth place, meaning the Dons will have home advantage for the second leg of their play-off tie over the course of the next week.
Maynard Admits Frustration
The Nottinghamshire-based side are now gearing up for a two legged tie against a team which boast the best defensive record in the division. The two meetings this season have generated a win apiece, but Maynard says they need to use their recent frustration to overcome the challenge. Speaking to BBC Radio Nottingham, he said:
“You want to get promoted, you want that feeling at the end of the season and when you are so close if can become even more frustrating.
“We all wanted to have that hope going into the last game, which we had. The odds were stacked against us and we knew we needed to take care of our own business.
“But the other teams also won around us, so we could have been even more deflated if we won the game and then potentially not got automatic promotion.
“So we have to look at it in a positive way in the sense that it is frustrating.”
Writer’s View
Wimbledon are perhaps the last team that Notts County would want to face in the play-offs, especially as they enter the game with a run of one win in six. However, the form book is out the window now and this is a chance to reset. Maynard will feel that if they can navigate a way past the Dons, they will be favourites to secure a place in League One. Still, losing home advantage in the second leg on the final day of the season could come back to haunt them.
