Notts County rounded off their pre-season preparations with a 2-2 draw at home to a Liverpool XI this evening.
Defenders Mike Edwards and Graeme Lee got the goals in an entertaining clash at Meadow Lane in the Magpies' final pre-season fixture before the start of the 2009/10 season next Saturday.
County had just two absentees due to injury on night, with defenders Stephen Hunt and Brendan Moloney not risked as a precautionary measure due to slight knocks.
In a bright opening period to the game both sides displayed their eagerness to get the ball down and play.
On ten minutes, the visitors opened the scoring with the first clear opportunity of the game.
Nemeth used some neat skill to create an opening down the right and despite an opportunity to clear the ball County didn't - and Daniel Pacheco made them pay by slamming the ball into the roof of the net from a few yards out.
County didn't let the goal set them back and they pushed forwards in search of an equaliser, but Hansen in the Reds goal wasn't tested.
Pacheco's and Weijl both blasted long-range shots wide with Hoult relatively untested while Luke Rodgers' effort from 18-yards whistled just over on the half hour with County's closest chance of the half.
That was until County drew level on fourty-two minutes from a corner.
Liverpool didn't clear their lines sufficiently which allowed Ricky Ravenhill delivered the ball back into the box, and Mike Edwards on the turn fired in a shot which took a deflection to totally wrongfoot Hansen and drift into the back of the net.
With the momentum with County Hughes had a header saved by Hansen but from a free-kick Liverpool almost restored their advantage in first-half injury time by Hoult scrambled clear Pacheco's deflected shot with his legs.
County had the ball in the Reds net within the first three minutes of the second half through Luke Rodgers, but the goal was ruled out for offside from Hamshaw's cross.
Five minutes later though, County deservedly had their goal - again from a corner. This time Hamshaw's deep delivery picked out the head of Graeme Lee whose towering header found the back of the Liverpool net.
The Magpies looking confident and were in control of the game, but Liverpool's youngsters dragged themselves back into the game in the latter stages.
Hoult had to be called into action to make a fine parry from Saric midway through the half diving low to his left, but with sixteen minutes to go the visitors were back on level terms with a long-range snap-shot from sub Andras Simon which the County goalkeeper got a hand to, but he was powerless to see the ball drift over his head and into the back of the net.
Thompson had a close-range effort deflected away from another County corner in the last ten minutes, which was the best chance during that period of the game for either side.
Without a doubt, Liverpool's XI provided another worthwhile test for County which will stand them in good stead for the kick-off of the new season next weekend against Bradford City.
Pre-season is over now….bring on a new and exciting season at Meadow Lane.
Notts County: Hoult, Thompson (C), Lee, Edwards, Clapham, Hamshaw (Westcarr 59), Ravenhill, Bishop (Trialist 68), Davies, Hughes (Canham 68), Rodgers
Subs: Trialist, Pilkington, Fairclough, Facey
Liverpool XI: Hansen, Darby (C), Irwin, Ayala (Threlfall 60), Mavinga, Palsson, Pacheco (Simon 60), Eccleston (Saric 60), Nemeth (Crowther 33), Weijl, Bruna (Kacaniklic 60)
Subs: Mendy, Bouzanis
Attendance: 5,217 (1,611 Away Fans)
