Left Magpie: May - OLE OLE OLE

Lucas Ness mistimed the tackle. Five minutes into the first leg. Away at Chesterfield. We had staggered into the play offs again. We were dispatched easily by the third-place team, and we finished fifth. At least we had the home leg second. At least we had some key players back. But it was all familiar. Our ceiling. Play offs. As I wrote in the last piece, if we look at the playing budget, this is how and where it was always going to go. But it’s the hope that kills us, of course. So here we are, a Sunday night under the crooked spire. We look decent at the start. And then Lucas Ness mistimed the tackle. It is a ‘stonewall pen’. Here we go again. 

The wheel is coming off. 

Forward two weeks. To Wembley, in 37 degrees. Salford. Beckham and Neville’s project. Notts are one up and nobody quite understands what is happening, as we are by far the better team. Just before half-time, Jodie Jones swings a free kick to the far post and Rod McDonald half volleys it into the box and then, as time seems to stop, a figure leaps so much higher than any opponent and connects perfectly with his header to plant the ball into the net for a second, at the perfect moment. And that figure, who perfectly times that header, is one … Lucas Ness. 

It was all so perfect. Where to even begin?

In the first leg, Chesterfield hit that penalty against the post ’early doors’ and whilst ‘one of our own’ James Belshaw doesn’t save it, the fact that he is our keeper makes it seem like it is some destiny. Our nemesis Armando Dobra gets injured. Then we score, with Jayden Luther converting very well from Jatta’s pass across the box following some fine ‘pragmatic’ div 4 pressing and breaking. But then, what happened next, made no sense to Notts fans who have lived the rollercoaster ride of the Football Radar tenure. Notts defended. And defended. And got the clean sheet. We even get a bit of referring lenience when Tsaroulla walked the line for a second yellow card. So often this team has been punished in that way. But not this time. Meadow Lane, then. Hope was high, after the first leg. The consensus seemed to be that they would fly at us, almost certainly score, so the first goal would be crucial. One thing nobody even came close to thinking about was a 0-0 draw. Both teams had chances, but – and even now seems like tempting fate even after the event – it never felt like Notts were going to concede. 

Back to Wembley. But Salford have so much momentum, and all the ‘other Wrexham’ and ‘Class of 92’ vibes. Also, they beat us in both league games. Although, so did Chesterfield. The weather forecast is for a scorcher. They have faster physical and more expensive players. They lost in the play offs last season, same as us. But it seems like it is more ‘their time’, after all the investment and on recent form.

It was all so perfect. Where to even begin? 

I don’t have anything pretentious or lyrical to write here. Notts County, under the stewardship of Martin Paterson, and using the ‘real time data analytics model’ on the touchline which I was so sarcastic about at the start of this season, turned up for the play off final and played, in every way, the perfect game. Jatta was his usual giant in defence but chose the perfect moment to relight his fire as a finder of the net. Lucas Ness … see above. The whole team. But take a bow, Mr Jodie Jones. One goal, two assists. The man, the legend. 

In 1894, we won the FA Cup, but now you’ll all believe us... 

At the end of the month, with the celebrations still fresh, Notts swooped to buy Cambridge’s player of the season, James Gibbons. He is a defender who impressed in their 4-0 victory of us, towards the end of the season, a result which is now totally irrelevant. The perfect end to the perfect month. 

Edwin Way Teale’s poem says “The world’s favourite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.”

Well, they do now!