NOTTS County have gone on the attack in training in their bid to avoid being sucked into another relegation scrap.

County have won only three of their last 18 games to plummet down League One.

When City inflicted their first away defeat straight after Christmas, the Magpies were well placed in the play-off chase.

They go into the return game tomorrow just six points above the drop zone.

Boss Shaun Derry has reacted to the slump by recruiting three forwards on loan – Barnsley’s Leroy Lita joining Paddy McCourt and Jamal Campbell-Ryce.

McCourt came in from Brighton and winger Campbell-Ryce has returned from Sheffield United, where he signed from County last summer.

The City game is likely to be their first all starting together at home after getting little change from last week’s 3-0 defeat at Swindon.

Derry has spent this week working on getting the ball to them as often as possible.

He said: “It was imperative that we brought in three experienced boys, so when Jamal, Paddy and Leroy all became available, I felt it was the right time for us.

"They are names of course, but if you ask any manager you have to spend time on the training field for it to click.

"We are very conscious of that. In the short time we have from now until the end of the season, a lot of the work we will carry out will be in an attacking sense.

"We've got some options now and I am thankful for the chairman for giving us the green light to go and get these players."

But they will be missing midfielder Liam Noble after his third red card of the season. The hot-headed Noble received two yellows in the space of a minute at the County Ground for arguing with referee Gavin Ward.

He starts a three-game ban, with Derry admitting there is a serious “flaw in his character”.

County have lost four in a row at Meadow Lane since a 2-1 win over Crewe in January.

But Derry said: “We have to look forward.We’ve a big game coming up against a team who have had an almighty season so far.”