Notts County came from behind to draw 1-1 with Leicester City on the opening day of the League One season, Conor Grant's 80th-minute finish cancelling out Jayden Joseph's earlier strike at Meadow Lane. Joseph put Leicester ahead in the 61st minute with a powerful right-footed drive from distance that beat goalkeeper James Belshaw; Grant levelled by turning home from close range after fellow substitute Emile Acquah's header had come back off the post.
It was the first league meeting between the clubs since 1994. Notts County, who won promotion from the fourth tier via the play-offs last season, were back at this level for the first time since 2014-15, and a sell-out crowd of 17,172 watched the hosts out-shoot Leicester 16-10. Ollie Cooper came closest to an early opener, pouncing on a loose Alex McCarthy clearance to hit the crossbar within six minutes of kick-off.
Leicester manager Russell Martin, appointed after the club's relegation from the Championship last term, admitted the closing stages got away from his young side. "A bit of anxiety crept in, the atmosphere changed in the stadium, and that's the biggest learning for us," he said. "If we don't look after each other with the ball, like we didn't towards the end, then it doesn't suit us."
Notts County manager Martin Paterson felt the point undersold his side's afternoon. "I'm disappointed because we were at home, but I don't want that word 'disappointment' to be the takeaway from this," he said. "We created opportunities and we just didn't take them today, so that's where the disappointment comes from."