Exeter City manager Matt Taylor believes Notts County will get themselves out of trouble this season, despite a disastrous campaign which sees them rooted to the foot of the Football League.

The Magpies - the world's oldest football club - reached the semi-finals of the League Two play-offs last season, where they were beaten by Coventry City, who then went on to beat the Grecians at Wembley in the final.

But this campaign has been one to forget for County, who are on their third permanent manager of the campaign and won just seven league games all season.

This weekend, they play host to an Exeter side that are again fighting for promotion and despite their precarious position, Taylor, who scored for City in a 2-0 win at Notts in February 2011, is wary of the threat that County will pose to his side.

"They are a team who have picked up a bit of form and are fighting for their lives," he said. "I think they have only been beaten by one of the top ten all season, so it shows how difficult it is going to be this weekend.

"Notts County is a good place to go and play football. It’s a great stadium, usually a good pitch and they are good opposition.

"I spoke to Jon Forte this morning. With the personnel that they have got, they are still strong in terms of the playing staff.

"They have got a chance of staying up  and I fully expect them to do that because they have got a good manager and good players, but they have had a difficult season. Saying that, they have still picked up results at important times."

Forte was one of several players that County released last summer and Taylor wasted no time in bringing the experienced striker to the Westcountry.

Asked whether Forte's inside knowledge would help this weekend, Taylor said: "Only minimal. There is a lot of personnel that has changed since Jonno’s time, obviously he knows a few, but a lot of those players haven’t been involved until the last few weeks.

"The team has changed a bit in the last few weeks and when I spoke to Jonno and went through a possible starting team, he said what a good team it was, which shows you what good players they have got.

"It’s strange to see them down at the bottom of the league and a club of that size at the bottom of the league, but I fully expect them to pull through because they have an experienced manager and a good group of players.

"But we are going there this weekend to win, as they will be and I am expecting a good game of football."