The eagerly anticipated return to National League football was certainly worth the wait for Notts County and their fans, as they put four past Scunthorpe to return to the top of the table.
Goals from Quevin Castro, Jim O'Brien, Macaulay Langstaff, Cedwyn Scott, and the most important one 34 miles down the road from Manny Duku saw the Magpies win 4-1 and retain top spot from the grasp of Wrexham.
Backed by 1500 travelling Notts fans in the away end at Glanford Park, Luke Williams and this Notts County team added another memorable away day to their collection as they continue their impressive unbeaten run.
READ MORE: Jim O'Brien makes surprising revelation after Notts County win over Scunthorpe
Here are the key talking points from the encounter at Glanford Park...
Jim O'Brien return
The perfect performance on his return to the matchday squad.
After missing the last eight games through injury, the two-week break came at a timely point for O'Brien to continue to build his match sharpness, and he certainly delivered on Saturday afternoon.
The 35-year-old combined defensive experience along with an attacking presence during his 67-minute appearance, proving just how vital he is for the Magpies in their quest for promotion.
You would not think that O'Brien was one of the few Notts players yet to find the net this season in the way in which he opened his account for the campaign, and he almost doubled his tally only to his deflected effort eventually pounced on by Macaulay Langstaff.
O'Brien has largely been deployed in a defensive midfield role this season, but his performance at Glanford Park showcased what an asset he can be going forward, producing a number of incisive passes into forward areas that almost resulted in adding to the score line.
The appreciation for what he does for the Magpies was certainly noted by the fans in attendance on Saturday afternoon, with the 1500 travelling fans standing to applaud the midfielder as he made way for Ed Francis.
Notts' squad continues to get stronger as we enter the hectic Christmas fixture list, and O'Brien's return will be music to the ears of his manager and the fans. Welcome back, Jim!
Coming from behind
Williams highlighted Notts' character in coming from behind at Glanford Park, something his side have rarely had to do so far this season.
It was the first time since the Magpies' 3-1 defeat to Dorking Wanderers back in September that they have not scored the opening goal, and questions of their ability to do so were certainly answered against Scunthorpe.
In the build-up to Caolan Lavery's opener, Notts created a number of opportunities to take the lead, with Tobi Adebayo-Rowling and Ruben Rodrigues in particular producing a plethora of openings down the right-hand side.
But for all of their possession, a swift counterattack led by Alfie Beestin resulted in the opening goal, with many fearing a repeat performance from their frustrating draw with Yeovil.
However, the Magpies never reverted to an alternate style of play, ensuring they stuck with their possession-based philosophy and continued to create openings in the attacking third.
And that transpired just four minutes later, with Quevin Castro on hand to tuck away his third goal of the season and swing the balance of the game back in the Magpies' favour.
While Scunthorpe looked dangerous on the counter, Williams' side ensured they learned from their previous mistake, ensuring they remained defensively aware of the threat the Iron posed in the first half whilst looking to create further opportunities.
Williams explained after the game that his side need to have that resilience in their armoury if they are to be taken seriously this season, and I think many in the National League are taking note of their title credentials.
Quevin Castro impact
With just two league starts all season, Quevin Castro showcased what he could offer Notts from the start, producing a fine display at Glanford Park.
The West Brom loanee's size and physical presence was an evident factor in Williams' team selection, looking to combat Scunthorpe's back three, the smallest of which stood at 6ft 4.
And the 21-year-old offered a different option going forward, using his size to his advantage, combining power and skill to great effect throughout his appearance.
While his goal was not as spectacular as his ones against York City and Torquay, his involvement came at a pivotal point in the encounter, bringing back the confidence that was slightly dented after conceding the opener.
Macaulay Langstaff feat
With all the talk surrounding the reported interest of Notts' prolific goal-scorer, the 25-year-old did his talking on the pitch, netting his 19th goal of the season after just 21 games.
As we have seen this season, Langstaff's predatory instincts were once again on show for his goal, being the first to react to Jim O'Brien's deflected effort to adjust his body and place the ball beyond Marcus Dewhurst.
There was a moment during the first half when a cross from Tobi Adebayo-Rowling was agonisingly close to finding the striker in front of goal, the third time this had occurred during the opening exchanges.
While many would have become frustrated, Langstaff simply gave a menacing grin towards the Scunthorpe defenders. He could smell blood, and knew it was only a matter of time his opportunity would come.
His goal revealed an extraordinary achievement from the forward just five months into his Notts career, already equalling Kyle Wootton and Ruben Rodrigues' totals for the entirety of last season by December.
Williams conceded afterwards that his form was obviously going to attract interest, but another addition to his Notts County goal collection will only add an extra number on to his valuation.
Thank you, Manny Duku
Whilst the travelling 1500 travelling Notts fans had four goals to celebrate at Glanford Park, arguably the loudest cheer came shortly after full-time following events at the LNER Community Stadium.
Tom O'Connor's 88th minute strike looked certain to keep Wrexham top of the National League, but as we have seen during the World Cup, football has a funny way of surprising you.
York City substitute Manny Duku was quick to continue the trend in Qatar, equalising for the hosts two minutes into added time to send Notts top of the pile.
News of the Dutchman's equaliser soon reached the fans in attendance at Glanford Park, with 'we are top of the league' echoing around the away end shortly after the full-time whistle.
Williams revealed he was unaware of the result prior to speaking to the media but felt it may have aided his side given the reaction of those inside the ground as they filtered out of the stadium.
Saturday's results continued to favour the Magpies, with Notts extending the gap between them and Chesterfield following their defeat to Halifax Town.
After their away fixture to Maidenhead next weekend, Notts have three consecutive league games at Meadow Lane, and offers a real chance for Williams' side to make a statement before the new year. Nine points from nine is a must.
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