When you leave the ground disappointed at taking just a point, it puts into perspective how good Notts County have been this season.
It wasn't the start to 2023 that the Magpies wanted, but a point on the road while extending their lead at the top of the table is something to build on ahead of their trip to Aldershot this weekend.
The draw kickstarts a pivotal month in Notts' National League season, with trips to Solihull Moors and Chesterfield to come in a potential title-deciding period of the campaign.
READ MORE: Notts County Luke Williams details Cedwyn Scott decision following Boxing Day performance
Here are the key talking points from the New Year's Day draw.
Sam Slocombe moment
It was arguably the talking point of the entire game, with many pointing the finger towards Notts' number one for his involvement in Nathan Sheron's equaliser.
Since Luke Williams' arrival, Sam Slocombe has had to adapt to the style of play wanted by his manager, looking to play out from the back and build attacks from defence.
His initial starting position is excellent and has been something that has improved this season as he adopts the 'sweeper keeper' role, but his decision to take an extra touch has been questioned by fans rather than putting the ball into Row Z.
It naturally comes down to two things, communication and overthinking.
Kyle Cameron's involvement in the situation creates indecision with his goalkeeper and ultimately results in the mistake along with a poor first touch, but given the way Williams wants his side to play, Slocombe's vision of wanting to keep possession will surely be in the back of his mind as he approaches the ball.
There is no denying the improvement seen in Slocombe's overall play this season, with his shot-stopping ability and organisation sometimes winning games for the Magpies this campaign, but he does provide some heart-in-mouth moments with the ball at his feet.
No one will be more disappointed than himself with the manner of the goal and the effect it had on the result, but he will dust himself down, look at what he has achieved this season and come back from this mistake.
Keeping the lead
As we saw in their 4-1 win over the Latics on Boxing Day, Notts conceded shortly after taking the lead in a match they were dominating.
While the result at Meadow Lane eventually swung in the favour of the hosts, their encounter at Boundary Park took on a different complexion, with the crowd encouraging their side to potentially go on and take all three points from the league leaders.
It took just three minutes for Nathan Sheron to cancel out Macaulay Langstaff's 22nd league goal of the season, a better return than their previous fixture which saw Joe Nuttall equalise barely a minute after Cedwyn Scott's opener.
Of the 28 times the Magpies have taken the lead in the National League this season, the opposition has managed to equalise on 11 occasions, giving them a lead defending rate of 63%.
In the seven games that Notts have drawn this season, they have taken the lead in four of those with three coming away from Meadow Lane.
The manner of the draw was something closely analysed by the Notts fans, with many suggesting that it was a game they may have lost last season, but the togetherness and intensity instilled by Williams since his arrival has made Notts a difficult team to beat, evident in the results so far.
Delivery improvement
On several occasions in the first half, Notts found themselves in some promising attacking positions but were unable to make them count.
With Adam Chicksen named on the bench following his return from injury, Cameron operated in the left-wing back role, but was unable to provide an accurate delivery until late on which narrowly evaded the sliding Scott.
It was something addressed by Williams during his half-time team talk as within minutes, Aaron Nemane was on hand to add another assist to his growing tally by finding Langstaff inside the area to score.
The Frenchman was on hand again to provide a pivotal inclusion in Notts' second goal as his driving run inside the area eventually fell to the feet of Scott, who calmly tucked away his third goal against the Latics in the space of six days.
The quality of deliveries into the box has been a standout in Williams' philosophy this season, with Chicksen, Nemane, and Tobi Adebayo-Rowling all playing a major part in Notts' success this campaign.
With Williams confirming after the game that Adebayo-Rowling would be missing for a couple of weeks following an injury in training, it provides Nemane with the incentive to nail down his place in the starting line-up, and his performances in recent weeks have shown just how important he is to this Notts side.
Timmy Abraham chance
While many are disappointed with taking just a point from Boundary Park, Notts could have found themselves leaving Greater Manchester empty-handed.
With the Latics beating the offside trap, Benny Couto got the home fans out of their seats as he raced towards goal.
His eventual cross found Timmy Abraham inside the area, but the forward on loan from Walsall somehow managed to fire his effort over the bar much to the relief of everyone sitting in the opposite stand.
How the situation played out was something David Unsworth was trying to utilise all afternoon by sitting deep and soaking up the pressure, to then hit on the counter and try and exploit the space in behind.
It worked on many occasions that afternoon, with Aden Baldwin producing some excellent defending against Nuttall at the end of the first half while launching a counter-attack from a Notts corner which eventually resulted in Sheron's goal.
Sometimes in football you need luck, and the Magpies on another day could have been starting the new year with a defeat.
Unbeaten run continues
The Magpies extended their unbeaten run in the league to 16 games with their point against Oldham, with their last and only defeat in the league coming back in September away to Dorking Wanderers.
In that time, Notts have scored 44 goals and won 12 of those games as they continue to set the pace at the top of the National League.
Williams' side are closing in on yet another record this season, needing to remain unbeaten in their next three games to equal the record of 19 games unbeaten in the 1930/31 season.
Their point at Boundary Park extends their lead at the summit to five points, with Wrexham having played two games less but in action against Solihull Moors on Monday afternoon.
Ahead of the start of January, many pinpointed how crucial it could be with tough games against Chesterfield and Solihull Moors to come.
While it's still too early to be looking over their shoulders, it's difficult to ignore Phil Parkinson's side.
