Team news from a very wet Meadow Lane showed two changes for the U's as fit-again Jason Kavanagh returned to the right-back position in place of Ben Chenery and Neil Mustoe shook off a thigh strain to take the place of Neil Mackenzie in midfield.

The game got off to a nightmare start for United when County took the lead after just 74 seconds. Gary Owers was allowed to run unchecked from inside his own half to within 25 to 30 yards of goal, from where his shot squirmed under Shaun Marshall and into the net.

However the U's were fired into action and cheered on by a small but vocal group of travelling supporters Trevor Benjamin broke away down the left before firing in a cross that was just inches ahead of the on-rushing Mustoe. A couple of minutes later Benjamin was again in the thick of things when a long throw made it all the way through to him and the ball was snatched off his toe by goalkeeper Darren Ward, then in the seventh minute County came close to doubling their lead with a dangerous outswinging corner. Marshall came for the ball and punched it as far as Warren who fired in a shot from just outside the area with Marshall still prone, but the ball hit Ashbee on the line and was cleared.

After ten minutes Benjamin broke away and spotted Mustoe scurrying into the area on the overlap, but the U's midfielder slid his shot wide. However six minutes later United were level after Clive Wilson's deep cross picked out Benjamin at the far post, the big striker glanced the ball goalwards and Ian Richardson sliced the ball into his own net. United almost took the lead when a sweet move after 19 minutes saw the ball played from Guinan to Benjamin to Tom Youngs who moved into the area but fired the ball into the side-netting.

United had two more chances in the next five minutes as first Benjamin won the ball in the area and fed Guinan who put the ball over the bar as Richardson clattered into him, and then Mustoe's free kick found Benjamin who had to check just as the ball reached him. Neither defence looked secure and there was the promise of more goals in the game, but the next one went County's way.

After 28 minutes Andy Hughes outpaced Paul Wanless and found Rapley at the far post and after the former Brentford man used some trickery to cut inside Wilson the U's left-back pulled him down to concede a clear penalty. Hughes stepped up to fire the ball inside Marshall's right hand post and give the Magpies an undeserved lead, although the 'keeper had guessed the right way and nearly got to the ball.

The rain was unrelenting and by now there were puddles on the pitch but the travelling support was noisy as they got behind the team with renewed effort. Five minutes before half-time Richard Liburd cut through four United players until Jason Kavanagh brought him down 25 yards out, and Owers' free kick was straight at Marshall. Summarising the first half, reporter Mark Johnson said United had looked more 'iffy' in defence and more potent in attack than for most of the season. (Half-time 2-1)

County gave United an early scare after the break when Rapley was watched as he broke into the penalty area with the ball at his feet and Scott Eustace continued to watch as he sliced his shot wide. Then in the 52nd minute Hughes broke away from a United corner and found Rapley just outside the area whose curling shot was deflected wide, although a goalkick was given. Was United's luck about to change? A minute later Mustoe's free kick found Wanless at the far post whose header across the face of goal picked out Guinan at the other post, but the striker's header came off the bar, bounced down onto the line and was hacked away by Tierney.

On the hour Guinan did well to find Benjamin who ran through two defenders to roll the ball into Guinan's path but a defender materialised to hack the ball clear. There was vital defending at the other end seven minutes later when Rapley got away down the left, beat Eustace and crossed toward substitute Duane Darby, but Martin McNeil met the ball superbly to clear the danger.

United finally equalised in the 71st minute when Trevor Benjamin found Tom Youngs with a great ball and the slightly-built forward shrugged off a defender, advanced into the area and slid a precision shot inside the far post. There was no time to relax though as County threatened from the re-start, Eustace picking up a booking for crudely ending the advance and Kavanagh clearing the ball following the free kick.

It was Eustace's turn to produce a vital challenge in the 76th minute when Liburd got into the area and was about to turn on the ball when the big defender put in a perfectly-timed challenge to rob him of the ball. Five minutes later a great one-two between Youngs and Benjamin sent Youngs into the area but this time he chose to pass rather than shoot and only found a Notts defender.

In the 84th minute, and as the home side launched what looked like a very threatening last few minutes, Hughes broke forward as United's defence dithered, Marshall had to come out to meet him but was eluded as the ball was pulled back, and Eustace had to head behind for a corner - County's first of the game. The corner kick was cleared out of the area but Ian Ashbee then gave away a needless free kick in the 'D' for a shove on one of their players. Owers' thunderous shot was bravely headed away by Wanless but the ball ran for Darby who shot over the bar ... for another corner? Their second of the match.

Just as it started to look as though United were prepared to try to hold on and preserve the draw, in the 92nd minute Trevor Benjamin turned brilliantly, cut into the area and slid the ball into the far corner in a similar finish to Tom Youngs' equaliser 20 minutes earlier.

The travelling fans, who had given excellent support throughout, went loopy and didn't have to wait long for the players to very professionally run down the clock and join in their celebrations at the first away win in the league all season, and indeed the first since the promotion-clinching victory at Rochdale last April.

In his summary a delighted Mark Johnson described this as a very well deserved victory, an excellent team performance in which Guinan had done well but Neil Mustoe had been absolutely everywhere and taken on the much-needed creative role in midfield.

His man of the match, delivered with the sound of car horns in the background as those ecstatic travelling fans started their journey home, was unsurprisingly Neil Mustoe: "A tigerish midfield performance coupled with creativity. Some of the finest passing of the ball with the outside of his foot as I've seen for some time."

YESSSS!!

Bottom of Division Two after tonight's result:

17  Reading               30  7 11 12  37  48  -11  32
18  Wrexham               30  7 10 13  30  45  -15  31
19  Scunthorpe United     30  7  9 14  28  46  -18  30
20  Oxford United         30  7  7 16  25  46  -21  28
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21  Cardiff City          30  5 12 13  28  41  -13  27
22  Blackpool             31  5 10 16  32  52  -20  25
23  Cambridge United      29  5  9 15  36  45   -9  24
24  Chesterfield          30  4 10 16  17  35  -18  22