We twice came from behind to earn a highly encouraging draw against Nottingham Forest at Meadow Lane.
New signings Macaulay Langstaff and Sam Austin both produced emphatic finishes in front of the Kop to ensure the spoils were shared - but in truth it was the least our performance deserved as we dominated in terms of clear-cut chances.
Sam Surridge gave the Reds the lead with a fantastic first half finish but the goal of the game went to Cafu, whose incredible long-range free-kick restored the visitors' lead after the break.
Following a quiet start, the first half-chance of the game went to the visitors when Richard Brindley got in the way of Surridge’s shot in the area.
Moments later we came close to the opener when industrious work from Jim O’Brien presented Ruben Rodrigues with the opportunity to twist and turn in the box only for Jordan Smith to produce an excellent save low down.
Rodrigues was proving the stand-out performer for both teams and on 33 minutes he did brilliantly to win the ball high up the pitch before supplying Austin, whose left-footed curling effort was well pushed wide by Smith.
We were building momentum towards the end of the first half and, shortly after Ed Francis' free-kick went narrowly wide of the far post, a deflected Rodrigues shot went just off-target.
Francis had another free-kick on 40 minutes - this time from a more conventional shooting position - and Smith had a brief moment of panic as his shot swerved just over, kissing the roof of the net on its way behind.
It looked like there would only be one team to score before the break but we were hit with a sucker punch when Surridge rounded off a counter-attack with a fine finish into the far corner.
Undeterred, we pushed for an immediate equaliser and came within inches of getting it when Rodrigues' deflected shot hit the post following a scramble in the box.
We emerged for the second half unchanged but soon altered the scoreline in our favour when Rodrigues played an excellent ball to Langstaff in the area and watched on as the forward smashed it beyond Smith at his near post with his left foot.
The match was now there for the taking but we were dealt another blow out of nowehere on 53 minutes when Cafu rifled an unstoppable free-kick beyond Slocombe from more than 30 yards out.
Both sides then exchanged chances, with Langstaff seeing a shot saved and Alex Mighten being denied by Slocombe.
But Smith was the next goalkeeper to be beaten as he couldn't deal with the marauding Kyle Cameron's cross, allowing Austin the chance to settle himself before blasting the ball beyond a number of defenders and into the net.
We were so nearly in front on 66 minutes when wonderful combination play between Rodrigues and substitute Cedwyn Scott released the latter through on goal, only for Smith to smother brilliantly.
The next chance fell to Aaron Nemane, who rounded off a counter-attack which began with a heroic Aden Baldwin challenge by firing the ball over from a tight angle.
A flurry of chances followed for the lively Austin, who saw an effort saved, sent the ball over after Rodrigues had produced a brilliant one-handed save from Smith and, finally, showed brilliant feet to get into the area only to send his shot wide.
And that was to be the final real chance of a thoroughly entertaining friendly which resulted in the Derek Pavis Trophy being shared, with former Magpie Ryan Yates joining Daphne Mounteney and Cameron for the post-match presentation.
STARTING XI: Slocombe; Cameron, Baldwin, Brindley; Chicksen (Taylor 82'), Nemane (Adebayo-Rowling 82'); Francis (Bajrami 64'), O'Brien (Scott 64'), Rodrigues (Vincent 82'), Austin; Langstaff (Mitchell 82')
UNUSED SUBS: Brooks
ATTENDANCE: 14,041 (5,929)