Our league campaign takes a break in midweek, when we play Notts County in the second round of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.
After knocking out last year’s runners-up Chesterfield in round one at Glanford Park, we have another home tie when Shaun Derry’s Magpies visit North Lincolnshire.A win for the Iron would provide Russ Wilcox’s men the perfect platform to build upon and take into the weekend clash at Gillingham.
“Every game you look at in a positive frame of mind, and it’s a chance to bounce straight back,” Wilcox told The Iron Player when assessing the tie.
“That’s the important thing. We haven’t got to wait another week and be disappointed for another seven days.
“We can be disappointed, but the opportunity to get through in a Cup on Tuesday is one we’re going to grasp with both hands.”
Wilcox may once again be without Lyle Taylor, who is recovering from a groin problem sustained in the Leyton Orient match two weeks ago.
“He’s done a couple of training sessions, but there’s still a little concern there with a slight niggle and some discomfort,” Wilcox added.
“We’re not sure, so we’ll assess that again and see where we go. Fingers crossed he’s not going to be too long, but if he’s still feeling discomfort in there then he’s going to be a doubt for Tuesday night.”
The match will come too soon for captain Sam Slocombe, but James Severn returned to the bench in Saturday’s game with Doncaster, after a period on the sidelines, and he will be pushing Bobby Olejnik for a starting place between the sticks.
Rory Fallon has scored two in two in a Claret and Blue shirt and Wilcox must decide whether to start the New Zealander or rest him for the weekend trip to Kent.
Sean McAllister could be pushing for a place after he was an unused substitute in the Doncaster match, as is Miguel Llera, who returned from suspension to take a seat in the dugout for the derby.
Andrew Boyce and Shaun Brisley impressed at the heart of the Iron defence in the league, but Peterborough loanee Brisley is cup-tied so Wilcox will assess his options, with Callum Howe also poised.
United fell at the first hurdle in last year’s competition, losing to Sheffield United on penalties after a 0-0 draw. The club knows what it’s like to go on a run in this cup competition, though, as we reached the
final in 2009, under Nigel Adkins, when Luton beat us after extra-time.
Gary Hooper put us into an early lead and Grant McCann’s late equaliser took the game beyond 90 minutes, where Claude Gnakpa won it for the Hatters.
County arrive in North Lincolnshire on the back of a 1-0 win over Gillingham in Sky Bet League One on Saturday and in the first round of the competition, they saw off League Two Mansfield 2-0 at Meadow Lane.
The Nottingham club have proved a tough side against the Iron in previous years and Tuesday’s Football League Trophy clash will be the 24th meeting between the two clubs. County have won 16, drawn three and lost to the Iron on four occasions, with the last meeting coming in the league in 2012/13.
Dean Leacock’s late goal gave them a 1-0 win months after we held them to a 2-2 draw at Glanford Park, where Christian Ribeiro and Damien Mozika were scorers, as Paul Reid saw red.
We also met them in the JP Trophy in that season, for round one, and Mark Duffy’s early goal was cancelled out as they won 2-1 at the Iron’s ground.
Our last win against the club came in September 2008, when cult hero Paul Hayes netted twice in stoppage time to give us a home win in another FL Trophy tie between the two clubs.
It is the first of two visits to Glanford Park for Notts County in October, as they travel on Saturday, October 25 to play us in Sky Bet League One.
If you can’t make it to the game, keep track of the action by tuning into the club’s official social media channels or keep an eye on events on the website, with live updates available from kick-off.
You can also see our betting preview for the game, with odds from the league’s official sponsor, Sky Bet.