Langstaff and Austin doubles ease Notts County to victory

Notts County maintained their five-point lead at the top of the Vanarama National League as a 4-0 home win against Southend extended their unbeaten league run to 25 matches.

Luke Williams’ side notched a seventh straight win and scored four times for the third successive match after Macauley Langstaff’s 31st and 32nd league goals of the season and Sam Austin’s double.

Langstaff despatched his eighth in his last five matches after taking Ruben Rodrigues’ pass into the box in his stride in the 18th minute.

Austin put Notts 2-0 up before the break with a well-taken header at the far post following John Bostock’s excellent cross.

Langstaff then combined with Rodrigues again in the 56th minute to notch his ninth in five games with a fine finish from a tight angle and Austin grabed his second in the closing stages with an emphatic finish.