Striker Lee Hughes is aiming high with Notts County

LEE Hughes fired Notts County top of League One – and joked: "It's great, we'll get a better bonus!"

But the striker – so often a match-winner for the Magpies – is not just thinking about the cash.

He would love to bank the biggest bonus of all at the end of this season – promotion into the Championship at the ripe old age of 36.

Hughes came off the subs' bench and scored a late winner for Notts against Shrewsbury Town at Meadow Lane with only his second touch of the ball.

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And he said he might be getting on, but his natural goalscoring instinct is as sharp as it has ever been.

"I don't think you lose it," he said.

"I've always had a knack of knowing where to be inside the box to score and I'm glad I'm still doing it.

"I always fancy myself to stick the ball in the back of the net if I get a chance.

"The lads on the bench asked me if I thought I could get a goal when I went on and I said it only takes a second to score. It was a great feeling to get the winner.

"Yoann Arquin put a good cross into the box and I just controlled it, swivelled and knocked it in."

Francois Zoko fired Notts ahead against Shrewsbury with his third goal for the club on 57 minutes, but the visitors hit two quick-fire goals through Matt Richard (penalty) and Jermaine Grandison to take a shock 2-1 lead.

Jeff Hughes made it 2-2 with his first goal of the season on 65 minutes.

"It was a crazy second half," added Lee Hughes. "I thought we'd win easily when we got the first goal, so it was disappointing to go behind, but we got the result we deserved in the end."

With four wins in their five league games, Notts have 12 points and are one point above second-placed Tranmere Rovers ahead of facing Hughes' former club Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park on Saturday.

The Magpies will not only be aiming to beat the Latics to stay top, but also to equal a club record of ten away league games unbeaten.

Hughes is happy to be top of the pile, but added: "It's all right being top now, but April and May is the time to be top.

"We'll just keep trying our best in every game, get as many points as we can and see where it takes us."