Preview: Notts County vs Salford City - prediction, team news, lineups

Notts County and Salford City will both be aiming for their first win of the new League Two season when they meet at Meadow Lane on Saturday.

The hosts opened their campaign with a draw at Newport County, while the visitors are looking to bounce back from a home defeat to Crewe Alexandra.

Match preview

Martin Paterson’s tenure as Notts County boss began with a 1-1 draw away to Newport, where the Magpies recovered from an early setback to claim a point.

Paterson replaced Stuart Maynard in May, after the club's disappointing playoff semi-final exit to AFC Wimbledon. Although still relatively inexperienced in the managerial game, the 38-year-old appears to have instilled early confidence in his side.

Despite their equaliser last weekend, Notts were far from convincing at the back, particularly from set pieces, an area that continues to look vulnerable. That said, their ability to come from behind and maintain composure under pressure remains one of their key strengths.

However, the psychological edge may favour the visitors as Notts County have lost four of their last five meetings against Salford in all competitions.

Salford, on the other hand, were comfortably beaten 3-1 at home by Crewe Alexandra on opening day.

Karl Robinson’s side started brightly but missed a golden opportunity to go ahead in the fifth minute, when Ben Woodburn saw his penalty saved.

Kadeem Harris scored an unfortunate own goal to give Crewe the lead but quickly made amends with an equaliser. However, two quick goals from Conor Thomas handed the Alex a deserved win and left Salford sitting 22nd in the standings.

Robinson is in the middle of a squad rebuild, having brought in seven new players this summer while seeing 15 depart. The Ammies narrowly missed the playoffs last season, finishing eighth, just one point outside the top seven, and they will be aiming to go a step further this season.

Despite their defensive lapses last weekend, Salford showed they could pose a threat going forward. Their pace in transition and ability to press in wide areas could be key to unsettling a Notts defence still finding its shape under new leadership.

Notts County League Two form:

Salford City League Two form:

Team News

Notts County handed debuts to several summer signings in their opener, including goalkeeper Kelle Roos, who conceded once on his first appearance.

Keanan Bennetts, Oliver Norburn, Matthew Dennis, Maziar Kouhyar, and Barry Cotter also featured and will be pushing for more minutes on Saturday.

Jodi Jones got off the mark with a goal at Newport and is expected to lead the line again, while defender Matty Platt stood out with a commanding performance at the back.

Salford new recruits also played prominent roles last weekend; Jorge Grant and Kadeem Harris both started and are set to retain their places, with Harris scoring the side’s only goal of the game.

Kallum Cesay impressed on debut, assisting Harris’s equaliser and completing the full 90 minutes, so the full-back should start again here.

Josh Austerfield remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury suffered in November 2024. The midfielder has now missed 33 games and has no clear return date.

Notts County possible starting lineup:

Roos; Cotter, Aljofree, Platt, Bedeau; Lorpenda, Palmer, Gordon; Jones, Dennis, Grant

Salford City possible starting lineup:

Young; Edwards, Cesay, Oluwo, Garbutt, Longelo; Woodburn, Watson, Grant; Harris, Stockton

We say: Notts County 2-1 Salford City

Notts County showed grit to fight back for a point on the road last weekend, and with home support behind them, they may have the edge here.

Martin Paterson’s side looked promising in spells, and with attacking threats like Jodi Jones and Matthew Dennis, they could cause problems for a still-gelling Salford team.

If Notts can tighten up at the back and build on last week’s momentum, they stand a good chance of getting their first win of the season.

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