Notts County and Oldham Athletic played out a stalemate in a game in which Frankie Bunn’s men had the better of the chances.

The game started in quite a slow fashion as Ishmael Miller’s blocked shot and Jonathan Benteke’s effort straight at goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons were the only chances of any note in the opening ten minutes.

The home side were starting to get a foot hold in the game until the ball broke to Miller and he forced a fine save from Fitzsimons low to his left.

Rob Hunt then produced a beautiful cross into the six-yard box, but the ball just evaded the touch of Callum Lang sliding in.

Notts County probably should have taken the lead from their only chance of the half as Robert Milsom hit a long diagonal freekick into the Oldham penalty area.

Waiting at the back post was Jamie Turley who somehow blazed over from a matter of yards out.

Latics probably should have scored themselves as Gevaro Nepomuceno’s corner found an unmark Andy Taylor at the back post, but he saw his header cleared off the line.

Oldham kept the ball alive and Nepomuceno found Peter Clarke in the middle with a fantastic right-footed cross, but Fitzsimons produced a wonderful diving save to deny the Latics skipper.

Miller then forced another save from Fitzsimons as the striker struck from a tight angle, before Taylor fizzed a cross into the middle which neither Benteke or Lang could turn in.

Latics started the second half as they ended the first, as Nepomuceno got on the front foot and produced a superb cross to Lang, but he headed wide.

Lang then latched onto a Gardner pass and he forced another strong save out of Fitzsimons before George Edmundson headed a good chance over from a Gardner corner.

Goalkeeper Daniel Iversen was a bystander for much of the game, but he had to be at his very best after Enzio Boldewijn worked an opening for himself only to be denied by the Danish U21 International.

Home goalkeeper Fitzsimons denied Gardner, tipping over the midfielder’s effort from distance as Latics continued to push on.

As the game entered stoppage time, Oldham failed to deal with an Elliot Hewitt long throw which resulted in Boldewijn hitting the post.

Bunn’s men certainly deserved to take the three points, but they had to settled for a share of the spoils in the end.

Up next for Oldham is the Emirates FA Cup tie with Hampton & Richmond Borough on Monday night.

Attendance 4,487 (296 Away)

Notts County

Fitzsimons, Hewitt, Alessandra, Dennis (Duffy 60’), Thomas, Boldewijn, Brisley, Ward, Milsom ©, Evina, Turley

Oldham Athletic

Iversen, Hunt, Clarke ©, Edmundson, Taylor, Lang, Gardner, Lyden, Nepomuceno, Miller (Baxter 80’), Benteke (O’Grady 85’)