Notts County sack head coach Maynard

Notts County have sacked head coach Stuart Maynard after he failed to guide them to promotion from League Two.

The 44-year-old's 16 months in charge of the Magpies have come to an end five days after the club were beaten in the play-off semi-finals by AFC Wimbledon.

After their second-leg defeat at Plough Lane, Maynard had said he was "confident" about keeping his job under mounting pressure.

Notts' regular season had ended two weeks earlier to the sound of boos from ers at Meadow Lane as the Magpies were beaten by League Two champions Doncaster Rovers.

It was a game the East Midlands club needed to win to have any chance of snatching an automatic promotion spot on the final day.

They ended up finishing sixth in the table, with a woeful run of just one win from their final eight matches – including the play-offs - costing them dearly in their bid for promotion to League One.

Notts owners Chris and Alex Reedtz said Maynard's sacking came down to those final weeks of the failed campaign.

"After being unable to achieve our aim of winning promotion this season, we share the disappointment felt by everyone connected with the club," the Danish brothers said in a statement.

"While football is a game of fine margins, and Stuart undoubtedly faced numerous challenges over the course of the campaign, neither results nor performances reached the levels we believe the team was capable of - particularly during the defining period towards the end."

Maynard took over at Meadow Lane in January 2024 from Notts' National League promotion-winning boss Luke Williams, who left the club to take charge of Championship side Swansea City.

The job at Notts was Maynard's first in full-time management, having worked part-time as Wealdstone boss while juggling his long-time career as a telecommunications engineer.

His first few months in the role produced 11 defeats and just five wins in 19 games as Notts ended up finishing 14th in the table last season.

By that time, sections of Notts ers were already calling for him to leave with banners of 'Maynard Out' appearing in the crowd.

His first full season in charge brought about improvements, with Notts' defence transformed from the worst in the division to among its best as they kept up their challenge for promotion to the very end despite their form stalling badly.

Four successive defeats at home, including a 1-0 semi-final first-leg loss to Wimbledon, were just one reason that former Notts striker Mark Stallard said the club had to make "a quick decision" about the future of a boss that "split the fan base".

Notts' owners say "work is well under way" to find Maynard's replacement, with the Reedtz brothers adding that they are "highly optimistic about the club's future".