A vital point and rare clean sheet may have felt like a victory of sorts at Meadow Lane, but with a new broom in the boardroom sweeping in hope, their fledgling manager will need fortune to favour expectationsKevin Nolan, appointed on Thursday, was all but anointed on Saturday. Notts County’s manager had arrived at Meadow Lane the day after Alan Hardy’s takeover from Ray Trew was completed and their first game in charge was the lunchtime derby at home to the Stags of Mansfield. After 10 successive league defeats County were the ones in a rut and the goalless draw was a triumph, their first clean sheet since October.Two hours later Cheltenham’s defeat of Accrington Stanley sent the world’s oldest football league club below the relegation line in League Two but Nolan had seen reassurance enough to justify his pre-match excitement. “I’m really happy that I’m here,” he had said, “and can’t wait to sink my teeth into it.” Afterwards he was “delighted” with the team against a side who had won their previous three games. “We competed from start to finish. I had a chance to work with the players for an hour on Friday and it seems they took it all on board. It proved we are good enough to get results and start climbing the table.” Related: Hartlepool United manager Craig Hignett leaves club by mutual consent Continue readingreadfullarticle
