THIS goalless draw against Aldershot will not be remembered with any nostalgia in 50 years' time. Not like the 1-1 draw between the two sides on April 23, 1960, that secured Notts County's promotion out of the old Division Four.

That draw almost half a century ago was celebrated at Meadow Lane on Saturday.

Many members of the Magpies 1959/60 promotion-winning team were reunited as the club's guests of honour. After enjoying a meal in the 1862 Suite the likes of Gerry Carver, Don Roby, Alan Withers and Frank Cruickshank were paraded on the pitch before kick-off to rapturous applause from the home supporters.

One of the club's most famous strikers, Tony Hateley, who scored against Aldershot all those years ago, was among them. He then watched as the Magpies' present day leading scorer Lee Hughes almost scored, if not an equally important goal as his a vital one nevertheless, in the second half with a header that was cleared off the goal-line by Scott Donnelly.

It was the closest Notts came in easily the most frustrating of afternoons at Meadow Lane this season, being the very first time they have not scored at home in nine league games. Impressively, they had scored 22 times in the previous eight home games.

Hateley and Co. drew eight times en-route to finishing runners-up to Walsall in 1960. Notts have now already drawn seven times this season in the opening 17 games of the season in League Two. Six of those have come in their last seven league games.

Hans Backe has overseen the last three; the previous three stalemates came under former manager Ian McParland.

The mood at Meadow Lane, it seems, is still positive, understandably. After all, each draw extends their unbeaten league run. It was stretched to nine league games against Aldershot.

And, crucially, they are still in the play-offs, though they trail the automatic promotion places by four points and leaders Bournemouth by seven points. That deficit can easily be overturned.

But their satisfaction in their unbeaten run must surely, and steadily, be giving way to frustration, concern even. With the squad they have got, they should be winning games, they should be top of the table.

They cannot afford to keep drawing, they have to start winning games, it's simple. Well, it's not simple because their next game is at Rochdale tomorrow night, to face League Two's perennial promotion challengers, who are currently second in the League Two standings. Spotland is a notoriously difficult stage.

Notts will also be without Hughes. Their leading scorer will serve a one-game ban after being booked for the fifth time this season in the first half against Aldershot.

Maybe another draw would be a good result?

After that, they face Darlington and Accrington at Meadow Lane and Hereford away so a win will surely come sooner rather than later.

Against Aldershot, aside from Hughes' header that was cleared off the line, Notts had only two other memorable opportunities in 90 minutes.

On-loan Nottingham Forest right-back Brendan Moloney curled an effort narrowly wide of Mikhael Jamiez-Ruiz' right-hand post from the edge of the penalty area in the first half.

And Hughes tested the Aldershot keeper with a powerful strike that he managed to claw away at his near post in the second half. The rest were only half-chances.

Notts utterly controlled the game. On his return from illness Ben Davies was always in the thick of the action, typically. So too, was on-loan left winger Matt Ritchie. Back at left-back, Jamie Clapham produced another impressive display.

Still, they failed to break their opponents down. Every time they went forward they were met with an impenetrable nine-man barrier in front of Jamiez-Ruiz' goal.

Picking their way through that, even with pinpoint passers like Davies and Johnnie Jackson in midfield, proved impossible.

There was not the usual pace about their attacking play either. Backe admitted the same afterwards. If they had played with a higher tempo they might have opened up their stubborn opponents.

They tried to stretch the visitors to create an opening and time and time again the Magpies got into good wide positions and crossed the ball dangerously into the penalty area but time and time again either Anthony Charles, the Shots' skipper or Chris Blackburn headed it away. They are a powerful pair at the heart of the Aldershot defence.

Notts were nowhere near the irresistible force they have been at home this season, memorably against Bradford City and Northampton, scoring five against both, but Aldershot were truly the immovable object as they claimed their fourth successive clean-sheet.

Aldershot were entirely defensive in their tactics, and 4-5-1 formation. But they were also a potent counter-attacking threat and lone striker Marvin Morgan twice memorably threatened in the second half.

Notts will face the same challenge again this season. Aldershot will not be the last team to come to Meadow Lane and get men behind the ball, others will do exactly the same. They will simply have to find a way to overcome it if they want to achieve the same feat as their celebrated predecessors from 1959/60.

With the quality of players Backe has at his disposal, they surely will do both – get back to winning ways and win promotion in May.