Notts County: Ian Burchnall urges team to refocus for Torquay United challenge

Mark Ellis helped create Notts County's second equaliser before heading their winning goal

Notts County boss Ian Burchnall has urged his side to refocus for the next step in their bid to regain their place in the English Football League.

The Magpies travel to Torquay on Saturday in the second phase of the National League play-offs.

It follows a dramatic 3-2 win over Chesterfield at Meadow Lane.

"They are a very good team, they nearly won the league, but finished second - they ran it really close," Burchnall told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"We know they've got a lot of quality. We really have to focus now, we have to bring ourselves down and refocus on the next game."

County lost their EFL status for the first time when they were relegated in 2019 and failed to bounce back at the first attempt when they lost 3-1 to Harrogate in last season's National League play-off final.

They are now one game away from a return to Wembley after Mark Ellis scored a last-minute goal to give them victory over Chesterfield in a game which saw them twice came from behind to draw level.

The defender has scored six goals in 20 games since arriving on loan from Tranmere Rovers in March.

Asked why Ellis was such a threat in the opposition box, Burchnall joked: "He's got a massive head".

He added: "He's brave, he puts his head on everything. He doesn't mind getting his face smashed in. He's been magnificent."

Ellis was born in Devon and made more than 130 appearances for Torquay earlier in his career.

"They're a former club, but there's only one thing on my mind and that's to go there and win and get us to the final," the 32-year-old said.

Burchnall believes the character shown by the team since he took over as manager 12 days after Ellis' arrival at the club has been key.

"We have it in the group. I saw it when I first came in, but we just needed to believe in what we were doing a little bit more," he said.

"We turned a corner a while back and they've not looked back since then."