Williams praises Langstaff after County beat Swindon

Notts County boss Luke Williams hailed Macaulay Langstaff a “special” player after the Magpies striker scored his 50th goal for the club in their 3-1 win over Swindon.

Langstaff’s penalty – his first in a competitive match for County – was sandwiched between goals from David McGoldrick and Dan Crowley in a dominant first-half display.

The Magpies head coach explained that fans need to savour the time their number nine is at Meadow Lane, eluding that his form could attract attention from clubs higher up the pyramid.

“He is very special, and we must enjoy the time that we get to see him on the pitch and hopefully it is for a long time to come,” said Williams

“You never know, but let’s savour having Macca on the pitch and enjoy what he brings to us.”

The win at Meadow Lane saw the Robins’ unbeaten start come to an end after 10 games, with the hosts adding another record to their collection – the first time since 1960 that the club have won their opening five home league games.

“That’s nice, but I don’t think anyone can deny that group of players what they have done, and I hope that they continue to break records,” Williams said.

“I think they are becoming a special group which is fair to say, but we’ve got a long way to go to be taken seriously at this level because I believe we are still finding our feet – but I would love them to go on and recognise their potential.”

Swindon substitute Tyrese Shade pulled one back early in the second half but it proved no more than a consolation.

Despite the defeat, Swindon still sit in the play-off places, with manager Michael Flynn insisting that a result at this early stage in the season won’t define their campaign.

“The result won’t affect us, it won’t, it’s only one game,” he said.

“We are in our 10th game, and we are four points behind the league leaders with a game in hand, it’s neither here nor there at the minute.

“Yes, we have had a good start, yes, it’s disappointing to lose tonight but in the second half we were much better and a different team.”

The visitors missed several chances in a much improved second-half display, with Flynn revealing his half-time team-talk.

“For me, I didn’t think we could be as bad as what we were in the first half and that gave them the impetus to go on and try to win the game,” he added.