Notts County v Bristol Rovers
Sky Bet League Two, Meadow Lane, Saturday 2 May 2026, 3pm KO
Bristol Rovers will look to finish the 2025/26 season with a ninth straight win in Sky Bet League Two when they travel to Notts County on Saturday.
It was an emphatic final home game of the season for the Gas against local rivals Cheltenham, with the Pirates winning 4-0. Ellis Harrison was at the heart of the action, heading in the opener within two minutes before getting his second just before half-time.
The forward then secured his hat-trick in the 56th minute with a clever chip looping over Joe Day and into the back of the net. Shaq Forde then completed the scoring with five minutes left to play, getting onto Joe Quigley's flick to score from close range right in front of Manager Steve Evans in the Thatchers End.
The Magpies secured a comfortable 1-0 victory over Colchester United, with Nick Tsaroulla's clinical finish keeping the Magpies' promotion dreams alive.
Read on for all you need to know about this fixture…
Tickets…
Tickets are no longer available for Rovers' fixture against Notts County. Additionally, tickets will not be available on the day of the match at Meadow Lane.
Travel…
By car, from the Almondsbury Roundabout take the 3rd exit onto the M5 slip road to The Midlands/Gloucester/S Wales/M4/London. Stay on the M5 and at junction 3A, take the M42 exit to Solihull/B’ham(E)/N.E.C./Airport. Continue onto the M42 and follow signs for M1/Tamworth.
Merge onto the M1 via the slip road to Nott’m(N). At junction 24, take the A50/A453 exit to Stoke/Derby/Nott’m(S). At Kegworth Interchange, exit onto Remembrance WayA453 and then at Mill Hill Roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Barton Ln/Remembrance Way/A453. At the Farnborough Rd Roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Clifton Ln/A453. Continue onto the B679 and then slight onyo the A60, turn right onto Cattle Market Rd/A6011, follow the A6011 and the destination should be on the right.
By train, the closest train station to Meadow Lane is Nottingham train station, which is a 10–15-minute walk away.
Opposition…
Known as the oldest professional football club in the world, founded in 1862, Notts County has gone from strength to strength. In 1888, they became one of 12 founding members of the Football League, and their black and white kit became so iconic that it inspired Juventus' kit.
The Magpies gained promotion from the National League in the 2022/23 season and have shown steady progress across the previous three seasons. They finished 14th on their return to Sky Bet League Two before a sixth-placed finish last term, losing to AFC Wimbledon in the semi-finals of the playoffs.
Notts have been in the battle for automatic promotion this campaign, but an indifferent April has hurt their chances of achieving their ambition. They lost three of their five matches last month, including a 4-0 loss to third-place Cambridge United, but a 1-0 win over Colchester United last time out has given them a chance heading into the final day.
Martin Paterson's men are two points behind Cambridge and need to win to keep their automatic promotion hopes alive. However, if they fail to win or results go against them, it will be the playoffs again.
Previous Meetings…
Rovers first played Notts in the league in 1930, losing 3-0 in their Division Three South match before drawing 2-2 in February 1931. The first match was an FA Cup clash dating back to 1913, where Rovers won 2-0.
The Magpies visited the Gas in November of last year, with Matthew Dennis netting the winner with four minutes to go, after they were reduced to ten men earlier on.
The Pirates last won against Notts County in March 2016, in their Sky Bet League Two clash, with Cristian Montano and Lee Brown scoring either side of half-time. The last time the Magpies beat the Gas in a league fixture at Meadow Lane was in August 2005, with Glynn Hurst bagging a brace.
Match Officials…
Referee | Ross Joyce
Assistant Referees | Mark Cunliffe and Samuel Clayton
Fourth Official | Garreth Rhodes
