Notts County boss Luke Williams branded his side’s performance “dreadful” despite edging a seven-goal thriller 4-3 against Forest Green and returning to the top of League Two.
Goals from Dan Crowley and Macaulay Langstaff had given the Magpies a two-goal advantage at the break, only for Troy Deeney to score two quickfire goals to draw the game level midway through the second half.
However, John Bostock and David McGoldrick were on hand to restore the hosts’ two-goal advantage and they held on despite Deeney completing his hat-trick from the penalty spot late on.
Williams said: “I didn’t enjoy it all, not one bit.
“Forest Green are very good, and when you are two goals in front midway through the game, it does not matter if they are very good for the level, you need to be able to control the game better.
“Instead, it was dreadful – I don’t feel so great about it.
“So often is the case, the players are incredible because of many different things. Today, they didn’t play football in exactly the way we would like as a group, and for a period of the game they didn’t show the characteristics that have made them a good group – but then they remembered.
“Yes, it still wasn’t pretty at any point in the second half I don’t think, but Forest Green are going to go up the table for sure because they are excellent – but at 2-0 up, you should make the game calmer.”
Forest Green manager David Horseman was delighted with striker Deeney after taking his tally for the season to four – insisting the veteran striker is desperate to succeed at The New Lawn.
“What has been interesting as the weeks have gone on is that he has got stronger physically, a lot fitter, his pressing was good today and the quality in the box it goes with a Premier League player and the way he looks after the ball and flicks headers on,” said Horseman.
“But he is so desperate to win and do well for the team – he’s a brilliant player for us but more importantly a brilliant person.
“I am delighted he has got his hat-trick and hopefully there will be a lot more to come from him.”
Having seen his side come from two goals down to draw level, Horseman believes that his side must gain confidence from the performance to move up the table.
“I just think today could have gone one or two ways,” he added.
“We are only going to get stronger – we need to because the table does not lie, we have drawn one and won two out of nine games, it is nowhere near the level we should be at.”
Bayern Munich 3-0 Augsburg: Hat-trick hero Kane smashes Bundesliga record
Harry Kane scored a hat-trick to become the quickest player to score 50 Bundesliga goals as Bayern Munich comfortably dispatched Augsburg 3-0 on Friday.
Kane opened the scoring in the 63rd with a penalty before netting a quickfire double in second-half stoppage time to smash the record previously held by Erling Haaland.
Despite controlling the early possession, Bayern were unable to make their dominance count, with Nediljko Labrovic rarely troubled in the opening 45 minutes.
The hosts maintained their dominance after the interval, with Leon Goretzka's looped header grazing the crossbar before Jamal Musiala went close soon after.
However, Bayern were awarded a penalty after a lengthy VAR review saw Mads Pedersen penalised for handling the ball, with Kane stepping up to score from 12 yards.
The England captain grabbed his second of the game in the third-minute of stoppage time following another VAR review which saw Keven Schlotterbeck sent off after tripping Kane inside the box.
Kane sent Labrovic the wrong way but was not to be denied a fourth treble of the season, brilliantly taking down Goretzka's searching ball before heading the ball home.
Data Debrief: HurriKane
Kane has now scored 50 Bundesliga goals in 43 matches. Before him, Haaland was the quickest player to reach 50 Bundesliga goals, having done so in 50 appearances in the competition for Borussia Dortmund.
He is also the quickest to reach that total for Bayern by some distance. Kane has reached that tally quicker than the likes of Gerd Muller (83 games), Mario Gomez (71 games), Roy Makaay (67 games) and Robert Lewandowski (64 games).
10 of Kane’s goals have come from penalties, while 32 of them have been with his right foot, nine with his left and nine with his head.
Messi 'will be our No.10 in 2026', hopes Inter Miami chief Mas
Inter Miami fully expect Lionel Messi to remain at the club beyond his current contract ahead of the 2026 MLS season.
Those were the words of Miami's club managing owner, Jorge Mas, who was speaking to the media following Gerardo Martino's resignation earlier on Friday.
Messi joined the MLS side in July 2023 on a two-and-a-half-year contract, leading the Herons to the Supporters' Shield and Leagues Cup during his time in the United States so far.
His current deal is due to expire at the end of next year, though Mas made clear his desire to see Messi remain with the Herons at Miami Freedom Park, the club's new stadium that will open in 2026.
"He’s under contract through 2025. Leo and I will sit, and we’ll discuss the future,” Mas said.
“As I’ve said before, and I will repeat it now: I fully expect that in the opening of our new stadium in 2026 in Miami and the opening of our 2026 season, hopefully after a trophy-laden 2025 season, that Lionel Messi will be our No. 10.”
Man United could be without Toone until new year, says Skinner
Marc Skinner revealed that Manchester United could be without midfielder Ella Toone until the new year after she picked up a calf injury in training.
Toone has featured in five games in the Women's Super League this season, but is yet to register a goal or an assist so far this term.
The 25-year-old has missed United's last two games and was not selected in Sarina Wiegman's England squad for their upcoming friendlies against the United States and Switzerland.
She had previously appeared in a staggering 96 straight matches before missing United's WSL showdown with Leicester City last weekend.
But ahead of the Red Devils' meeting with league leaders Chelsea on Sunday, Skinner confirmed they would be without Toone for not only that game, but for the foreseeable future.
"We have three games [after the international break and before Christmas]. There's always the hope, but I think you balance and you go, 'right, if we can get her back, we get her back'," Skinner said.
"But we're just not going to rush her in this moment because it's a calf injury, it's your running mechanism. If we injure the running mechanism, it takes longer.
"So ideally we'd like her back for those games afterwards.
"The projection is she misses this game [Chelsea], she misses the international window, probably misses the first game after that, and then we'll see from there.
"But because it is such a short block of only three games, we'll assess whether it's worth that or actually resetting to come back after Christmas."
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