Accrington Stanley 1 Notts County 1

It’s been 26 games since John Coleman’s side played out a stalemate and that was back in January in the 3-3 draw against Chester.

But that was until they came up against Ian McParland’s draw specialists. So maybe there was an air of inevitability that the game would end up all-square.

But few would have predicted the route this fixture would have taken to get to its conclusion.

After a game which never really clicked into top gear, the match exploded into life in the final few minutes in which both sides capitalised on defensive howlers to grab a goal each.

A point apiece was probably a fair result, with neither side really deserving all the points.

Despite the woodwork being hit three times, the defences were largely on top as gilt-edge chances were at a premium.

But for Stanley, it brought an end to a three-game losing streak and gave them another positive result at home where they struggled so badly last season.

Stanley made three changes from the side that lost at Exeter last week with Rostyn Griffiths, Jimmy Ryan and Colin Murdock in for Robbie Williams, Peter Murphy and David Worrall while Notts County were unchanged.

But the game was never able to get up a head of steam on a pleasant East Lancashire day.

The contestants probed and prodded but the keepers went largely untested in the opening stages.

Matt Hamshaw was getting joy down their right flank and Stanley striker Jamie Clarke was causing a few headaches at the other end, but there wasn’t much in the way of goalmouth action.

In fact, John Mullin’s skewed shot was all the game had to offer in the first 15 minutes as the sides cancelled each other out before Jamie Clarke stung Russell Hoult’s palms with a low drive from the edge of the area.

Debutant Rostyn Griffiths, on a month’s loan from Blackburn Rovers, almost opened his account in spectacular style in the 22nd minute when the Australian midfielder got on the end of Paul Mullin’s knockdown but his volley was fired straight at the keeper.

Clarke, who got his first league goal at Exeter last week, could have doubled his tally as he was teed up nicely by Miles after an error in the County box, but he dithered and the gap in the defence closed up.

But the ball was worked out to the right for Jimmy Ryan, whose cross was glanced just wide by John Mullin.

The Reds continued to have the best of the half with Ryan firing a shot into the side netting from a tight angle.

Paul Mullin thought he’d broken the deadlock from Peter Cavanagh’s deep free-kick. But as the big striker put the ball into the back of the net, the assistant referee put his flag up for offside on 36 minutes.

But, just before the interval, County almost got their noses in front.

Matt Hamshaw’s deflected curler had Arthur scrambling but from the resulting corner, Michael Johnson rose highest to power a header off the top of the bar.

It marked a sea-change in the balance of the game as, after the break, it was the visitors who forced the issue.

And an error from Chris King almost cost Stanley dear two minutes after the re-start.

His attempted clearance was hit straight at Hamshaw and his deep cross found Weston at the back post but he fired into the side netting.

It took the woodwork to save Stanley just a minute later as the dangerous Weston was allowed to escape down the left. As the Reds defence could only look on, Weston’s fizzing low shot ricocheted back off the post, with Arthur beaten, and rebounded back out for a throw-in.

The Stanley faithful breathed a sigh of relief, but they were soon howling in frustration as King was felled in the box under pressure from a couple of Notts County defenders, but referee Craig Pawson waved the penalty appeals away.

Then Cavanagh was third player of the afternoon to test the woodwork after his free-kick superb 20-yard clattered against the bar with Hoult rooted to the spot.

It seemed that it was going to be one of those days and a goalless was somehow this game’s destiny.

But Cavanagh, who had a phenomenal game at the back, turned from hero to villain two minutes from time as he gifted County the lead.

There appeared to be no danger as the Stanley skipper attempted to pass the ball back to his keeper.

But Cavanagh made a hash of his pass and sub Sean Canham pounced to steal in and put the ball past a furious Arthur for his first ever career goal.

It looked like that was enough to give County were on course for their first win of the campaign. But McParland’s side are nothing if not predictable.

After four draws already this season, the Magpies have an uncanny knack of shooting themselves in the foot.

And it was their keeper Hoult who ended up with egg on his face in stoppage time as the Reds threw the kitchen sink at County in search of an equaliser.

A long ball from Cavanagh sailed into the County box, where Hoult came out to punch clear.

But his attempted clearance only found Colin Murdock, who fed Ryan and his volley, via a deflection off Richard Butcher, looped high into the net.

There was a sense that justice had been done as Ryan celebrated his second career goal and the inquest began in the County defence.

The final whistle sounded just moments later to give Stanley their first ever league point against the Magpies.