Play-off tie far from over - Notts boss Paterson

Notts County boss Martin Paterson insisted that progression to the League Two play-off final is far from guaranteed after his side beat Chesterfield in the first leg of their semi-final on Sunday.

The Magpies will carry a slender 1-0 lead into the decisive return leg at Meadow Lane on Friday.

Jayden Luker's first-half strike was enough to give County their first away victory in a play-off tie - at the eighth attempt.

But Paterson is keen to keep perspective and remind everyone that the tie has not been won yet.

"Absolutely not - I think you'd be an absolute fool to think that," he told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"We're halfway into two games so it's irrelevant how it looks right now.

"What matters is at the end of the second game, but there are positives to take, a lot of positives, and that will be a good thing to show the players.

"We looked really threatening in moments. We're halfway there and it's a tough, tough game coming up."

• Notts County claim narrow first-leg win at Chesterfield

Notts had lost their previous three previous meetings against Chesterfield and had an early reprieve when Lee Bonis slammed his penalty against the post.

Luker put the visitors ahead before the Magpies' defence held out against some intense second-half pressure.

"I thought we started the game ever so well in the first five minutes and they won a penalty the first time they got in our box," said Paterson.

"When I looked at it, I thought 'it probably is'.

"But I thought in the first half we were good, [in the] second half they did certain things where we had to contain.

"So it was a first-half performance and the key thing is there will be no getting carried away, we've got another game to play."