Notts County 2 Barnet 0

NOTTS County cantered to a 2-0 win against Barnet in League Two at Meadow Lane today.

The Magpies led by two goals at half-time, with strikes from Karl Hawley and Ben Davies.

They went close to adding to their lead in the second half, with Mike Edwards memorably having a header tipped onto the crossbar.

It is their third straight league win, following victories against Burton Albion and Dagenham.

Attacking the Kop, Notts took the lead after only five minutes.

Matt Hamshaw, making his first league start of the season, crossed into the box from the right and Edwards headed it back across goal to Karl Hawley, who drove the ball confidently past Bees' keeper Jake Cole from inside the six yard box.

It was a wonderfully-worked goal, and a superb finish from Hawley.

Against a side without a league win since the end of October, Notts were comfortably in control after going 1-0 ahead.

Barnet were not posing any threat to the Magpies' goal.

Lee Hughes should have made it 2-0 on 20 minutes, but somehow lifted an effort over the crossbar from close range.

Ben Davies broke brilliantly down the left wing onto a pass from Stephen Hunt and drove the ball low across the six yard box, invitingly for Hughes, who was unmarked, but he missed the simplest of opportunities to score his 22nd goal of the season.

Davies did double their lead on 25 minutes. Once again the Magpies' midfielder was deadly from a free-kick, curling the ball into the bottom left corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area. Cole had no chance of saving it.

They came close to making it 3-0 three minutes later when Hamshaw swung another dangerous cross into the box to Edwards, but the Notts' centre-back headed just wide of Cole's right-hand post from inside the six yard box.

On 30 minutes, the Magpies were forced into making a substitution, with Ricky Ravenhill being replaced by Jamie Clapham. Ravenhill exited down the tunnel with the club doctor.

Tempers flared minutes later when Barnet's Lee Sawyer clattered into Hunt near the halfway line. Hunt needed treatment, and Sawyer was booked. Neal Bishop was also cautioned for pushing Sawyer in the scuffle.

Notts ended the first half strongly and Davies almost killed the game off on 43 minutes.

After being fouled 35 yards out, Davies dusted himself down and smashed the subsequent free-kick towards the top corner of the net, but Cole somehow parried it away at full-stretch to his left.

Notts began the second half strongly, but still almost gifted Barnet a chance on 50 minutes when Clapham underhit a back-pass to Kasper Schmeichel. Albert Adomah looked set to seize onto it, but Schmeichel was alert and cleared the danger.

The Magpies then threatened to score twice in quick succession.

First, Hughes seized onto a through ball from John Thompson and raced into the box but his effort hit Gary Breen and went wide and then Cole tipped a close-range header from Edwards onto his crossbar, after the defender rose brilliantly to meet Davies' corner.

Adomah tested Schmeichel from close-range just after the hour mark, before Luke Rodgers replaced Hughes on 62 minutes.

Adomah was looking the biggest threat in the Bees' side, and he was involved again on 66 minutes, beating a couple of players before laying the ball into the path of substitute John O'Flynn, who was unmarked on the edge of the penalty area.

He drove powerfully towards goal, and Schmeichel parried it away confidently.

Notts looked content with their two-goal lead, and Ade Akinbiyi replaced Hawley with ten minutes left.

A minute later, Davies sent an audacious effort from the left just over the bar and onto the roof of the net, after Edwards had swept a ball out to him in space.

In injury time, Davies blazed over the bar from distance.

NOTTS: Schmeichel, Thompson, Edwards, Hunt, Jackson, Hamshaw, Ravenhill (Clapham, 30), Bishop, Davies, Hughes (Rodgers, 62), Hawley (Akinbiyi, 80). Subs: Hoult, Lee, Fairclough, Westcarr.

BARNET: Cole, Lockwood, Devera, Breen, Gillet, Adomah, M Hyde, Hughes, Sawyer (O'Flynn, 56), Jarrett, Furlong (J Hyde, 70). Subs: Carpenter, O'Neill, Tabiri, Leach, Deen.

ATTENDANCE: 6,444 (270 away).