We take a look at how the press from both sides reviewed our 1-1 draw with Grimsby Town at Meadow Lane on Saturday.

Ex-Magpie Nick Fenton cancelled out Richard Butcher's tenth of the season in an evenly contested game, and in the end both sides had to settle for a point.

Nottingham Evening Post Report by James Pallatt

Felix Bastians was the cover-boy of the Magpies' match-day programme and legendary manager Jimmy Sirrel was out on the pitch to celebrate his 86th birthday with the supporters that adore him.

But both were sat in the stands at Meadow Lane as Richard Butcher took centre-stage once again.

Boss Ian McParland dropped Bastians from his squad after the 19-year-old stalled on extending his loan stay with Notts ahead of the game against the Mariners, after attracting interest from other clubs.

For McParland, it wasn't a time for any lack of focus and commitment. Quite the opposite. So out went Bastians, who had played in every game since joining the club from Nottingham Forest at the start of the year, and the Magpies' boss switched Butcher to the left of midfield.

It was the third different position the club's leading scorer had played in the last three games, having played right midfield against Morecambe and in an advanced central role in the goal-less draw at Brentford. Butcher showed incredible versatility in both of those games, even scoring in the 1-1 draw at Christie Park. But he never enjoyed the same level of influence on Saturday. He admitted as much at the end of the game.

For the first time in ages, he was a peripheral figure to an intriguing and entertaining midfield battle in which Gary Silk and Gavin Strachan shone.

He was still impressive in all that he did alongside Strachan, Silk and Ali Gibb in a midfield quartet that had to contend with the visitors' five-man midfield.

And, crucially, he was in the right place at the right time to break the deadlock in the second half with his 10th goal of the season - a great effort and one that has contributed much to keeping Notts out of real trouble.

It was another outstanding strike for his scrapbook as he pounced on a ball into the penalty area and drove it low across Mariners keeper Phil Barnes and into the bottom corner of the net. He was composed and clinical.

But lightning struck for the second time in three games, as Notts were unable to preserve a precious lead given to them by Butcher. And it struck quickly.

Just two minutes had elapsed when former Magpies defender Nick Fenton came back to haunt his old club with a decisive point-blank range prod past Kevin Pilkington. And just like at Morecambe it was borne from poor defending from a set-piece. Firstly, Notts failed to clear a free-kick played into the penalty area and then they were slow to react to the rebound as Danny Boshell kept the ball alive in the box and Fenton pounced at the far post.

It was the one lapse in concentration from the Notts rearguard and it proved so costly. They had been resolute in the face of the lively threat of Danny North and Peter Till, who roamed in behind the visitors' lone striker like Butcher did in support of Jason Lee against Brentford.

It was Till and North that combined to give the Magpies an early scare. Till carried the ball all the way across the back-line, shrugging off Mike Edwards and Stephen Hunt too easily, and cut the ball back across the face of goal for North to fire a shot.

It beat Pilkington but Lee Canoville got back to clear the ball of the goal-line.

The rebound fell to Jamie Clarke and he sent a low drive at goal that Canoville blocked away.

It was a brilliant piece of last-ditch defending from the Magpies' right-back.

Pilkington was forced into memorable action twice more in the first half to deny North. First, he was quick off his goal-line to narrow the attacker's angle of opportunity after he had been sent racing through and saved low down at his feet.

And then, on 26 minutes, he showed incredible instinct to hold a close-range header from North, after he met a measured cross from Sam Hird from the right.

The Magpies' own strike-force, of Lee and new-signing Ryan Jarvis, showed glimpses of clever combination that could bear rich reward when the pair develop a greater understanding.

Notts continually tried to exploit the aerial power of Lee, who is beginning to look more confident, and he won most of his battles. But too often he lacked support and his knock-downs were easily swept up by the visitors.

Jarvis showed encouraging endeavour and some clever, quick, footwork to beat his opponents in tight spaces and he teed-up Edwards with a deft flick-on from a free-kick inside the penalty area, only to see the centre-back flagged for offside after lifting the ball over the crossbar.

He then had a good chance of his own to break the deadlock on 54 minutes, after Gibb seized on to the ball after some poor defending by Clarke and sent him racing through on goal.

He was one-on-one with Barnes but perhaps delayed his shot too long, making the angle at the near post difficult and he shot straight at the goalkeeper. The ball rebounded out but just eluded Butcher, who had made a late charge into the penalty area.

The young striker tired near the end and was replaced by Lawrie Dudfield. But it was another of McParland's substitutes, Myles Weston, a replacement for Gibb, who came closest to scoring a late winner with a far-post header from a Canoville cross that he directed over the crossbar.

A goal would have given Sirrel the perfect birthday present and the Magpies a precious three points. But the draw extends their unbeaten run in the league to four games and though they still haven't won a game in which Butcher has scored, they would have lost many more without his extraordinary goals' tally. His contribution and commitment is consistently class.

Grimsby Evening Telegraph Report by David Pye

It's a measure of just how far Grimsby Town have come in the last six weeks or so when they are disappointed to come away with just a point from a tricky away game at Notts County.

But disappointed they were, and rightly so after a first quarter that could, and maybe should, have seen them seal all three points early on.

Looking to keep their unbeaten run in 2008 going and continue a three-month spell without a league defeat on the road, they made the short trip south in confident mood.

And that was illustrated in their early domination at Meadow Lane.

In stark contrast to their recent knack of grinding out results with some far-from-fluent football, they were much better at County.

And one of the main contributing factors to that improvement was the performance of the returning Peter Till to the side.

Boss Alan Buckley opted to rest Gary Jones in favour of a new role for Till in the hole behind lone striker Danny North and the former Birmingham youngster took to it like a duck to water.

Pace and energy injected new life into the front line and Till was unplayable from the start.

It might have surprised the huge Town following, it certainly bamboozled the County defence who were tied in knots.

But it wasn't just Till's virtuoso display that was the catalyst, the different style of play also brought the best out of North and forced the side to play their way through midfield more rather than look for a long ball up to Jones - and that was key to their game on the day.

Just six minutes in and Town could have been in front with Till the creator. He picked up a cushioned pass from North in midfield on the left and made a bee-line for goal across the area taking on several men.

It was a run another certain number 7 in the news this week would have been proud of and, like Cristiano Ronaldo, Till had an end product.

He whipped in a low cross that North fired goalwards, only for County defender Lee Canoville to clear off the line. The rebound fell to Jamie Clarke but his low effort was also blocked by Canoville before it was scrambled away.

Town could have been in front and in dreamland so early.

They had an even better chance just three minutes later when Till and North linked up well again. This time a one-two saw a perfect Till through-ball beat the offside trap and North was away. He looked odds on to score but his low effort was saved at his feet by the onrushing Kevin Pilkington.

Ten minutes gone and it should have been 2-0 already but Notts were let-off and they tried their best to get a grip on the game.

The main threat was always going to be the brute force of former Mariner Jason Lee and he saw a header saved by Phil Barnes before nipping in behind Ryan Bennett - in for the injured Tom Newey - to see a left-footer also stopped.

But, in truth, County forays were few and far between and the tidal wave of attacking play was in favour of Town - with Till at the helm.

The young winger was at it again midway into the half when he crossed for Hegarty to send a left-foot volley wide from the edge of the box.

Then Till fed Sam Hird on the right and his cross saw North plant a free header into Pilkington's arms.

It had been a flowing first-half display on what was an awful surface and the vociferous 900-plus Town fans would have been encouraged by a more Buckley-like showing, despite the lack of goals.

If there was any criticism of Town it was their wastefulness, without which the second-half could have been a non-event.

And they nearly paid for that early after the break when Jamie Clarke, impressive on the day, had a moment of madness and gifted the ball to County 20 yards from goal.

Magpies loan striker Ryan Jarvis was sent clear on goal and got nearer than North in the first half but he too was thwarted.

Barnes again showed why he has been earning praise from his manager with a stunning point-blank stop at his near post.

North blazed a half-chance over after a good turn at the other end but then, after being outplayed for much of the match, the home side took the lead.

A long ball forward was inevitably flicked on by Lee and an unfortunate ricochet off Hird gave County top-scorer Richard Butcher a chance that he took by firing a low drive past Barnes from 12 yards.

It was a dent to Town's ambitions but they are proud of their current run and hit back within two minutes to level.

Danny Boshell picked up a loose ball outside the County area and played a cute pass through to ex-Magpie Nick Fenton, still in the box from a previous set-piece, and he finished like a striker with a toe-poke into the net from six yards.

Town now looked for the winner that their overall play deserved and Till had two bites of the cherry as he looked to cap his own personal display.

His first effort in the box was blocked and then the rebound effort was deflected high and wide.

County made three changes to try and get a foothold back in the game but it was always the Mariners who looked the more likely winners.

Hegarty went closest in the last 10 minutes when he sent a right-foot volley wide and then saw a shot on the turn saved low by Pilkington.

Even the injury time introduction of Jones couldn't force a winner and Town were left with a share of the spoils.

They weren't able to steal all three points from the Magpies' nest but another game without defeat means the flying Mariners moved up another place in the table.

It's now a nine-game run since their last loss. The chance to make it double figures will be tested by one of their old boys when Chesterfield and Jack Lester head to town on Saturday.