Shrewsbury Town 1 : 1 Notts County
David McGoldrick's second goal in two games ensured the Magpies a share of the spoils in the last of their pre season friendlies before the L2 season opener at Sutton next Saturday.
Notts were without Macaulay Langstaff and Will Randall who had minor injuries and were left out as a precaution. New signing Ollie Tipton was present but left out of the squad having just returned from a pre season trip with Wolves.
It was the hosts who went ahead on 13 minutes, Dan Udoh managing to break with the ball and fire past Stone in the Notts goal from outside the box. However it was the visitors who thought they had the early goal on 7 minutes. Cedwyn Scott heading home from a John Bostock cross only to see it ruled out for offside.
They didn't have to wait long for the equaliser. Some great work from Jodi Jones on the left saw him skip past his man before ending a delightful cross to the far post. Scott was on hand to cushion a header back into the path of McGoldrick who calmly volleyed the ball home rom 8 yards.
There were a couple more opportunities for Notts to go ahead in a first half that saw them dominate 73% of the possession, but it wasn't to be and the teams went in level at the break.
With no changes at the restart it was Notts who suffered an early scare, Udoh again threatening, hitting the crossbar from a Shrewsbury corner. Just a few minute later though Notts had an appeal for a penalty waved away after neat work from Aaron Nemane saw him make a threatening run down the right only to go down under a challenge in the area. Great signs that the tricky wingback has continued his great form from last season.
It was the hosts turn to threaten next with Ryan Bowman forcing Aidan Stone in the Notts goal to make two good saves before the ball was finally pushed just wide by Shrewsbury.
McGoldrick thought he had his second goal of the match on 79 minutes after guiding the ball home with his chest from a cross by substitute Tobi Adebayo-Rowling only to see it ruled out again for offside.
McGoldrick continued to be the main threat for Notts but was unable to capitalise on another couple of late chances and the game drew to an end.
This was a game that saw Notts look very comfortable against good opposition from the league above providing plenty of positives as we look ahead to next Saturday's league opener at Sutton United.
Notts:
Stone - Cameron (c), Rawlinson (Baldwin 78'), Brindley (Adebayo-Rowling 62') - Jones (Chicksen 78'), Nemane (O'Brien 78'), Bostock (Austin 62'), Palmer, Crowley - McGoldrick, Scott (Bajrami 78')
Slocombe (unused)