Notts County extended their lead at the summit of the National League table to five points following a 3-0 win away to Aldershot.
The returning Jim O'Brien put the Magpies in front in the first half, doing well to react to Macaulay Langstaff's initial effort to net right in front of the travelling 454 Notts fans.
And the points were sealed in the second half, with Ruben Rodrigues taking aim from the edge of the area to curl home his ninth goal of the season before Aaron Nemane took advantage of an error from Luca Ashby-Hammond to extend Notts' unbeaten run in the league to 17 matches.
READ MORE: Notts County team news vs Aldershot revealed as Luke Williams makes three changes
Ahead of kick-off, Luke Williams made three changes to the side that drew with Oldham on New Year's Day, with Adam Chicksen, O'Brien, and Cedwyn Scott all coming into the starting line-up.
After scoring in the reverse fixture with the Shots in September, both Langstaff and Scott almost added to their tallies for the season early on, seeing their headed efforts unable to trouble Ashby-Hammond after an unusually slow start from Williams' side.
But the league leaders continued to create chances and were rewarded just before the half-hour mark.
Good work from Nemane down the right-hand side saw his cross find the feet of Langstaff inside the area only to see his effort blocked, with the ball falling kindly into the path of O'Brien to smash home his second goal of the season.
The visitors continued to create with the ever-influential Nemane involved once again, seeing his eventual cross misjudged by an Aldershot defender, with Scott seeing his goal-bound effort blocked on its way to goal.
But the hosts started the second half as they ended the first, doubling their advantage early on through Rodrigues after good work from Scott.
The Notts number 19 won the ball deep in the Aldershot half with the ball eventually finding Rodrigues, who took aim from outside the area to curl the ball beyond the reach of the Aldershot keeper.
Scott continued to hunt for the goal his performance merited, finding space in behind the Shots defence minutes later, only to be denied by a strong hand from Ashby-Hammond.
However, the Magpies were not to be denied their third of the afternoon, with Nemane capitalising on a poor clearance from Ashby-Hammond, taking a touch before lifting the ball over the stranded Aldershot 'keeper from 30 yards out to secure Notts' first win of the new year.
Following the game, here is how we rated the Notts players.
Sam Slocombe - 6
Maintained a good starting position to mop up any loose balls over the top, but did again provide some nervy moments with the ball at his feet. A clean sheet after last week will do his confidence the world of good.
Kyle Cameron - 6
Defended extremely well all afternoon, nullifying the threat of Justin Amaluzor by showing an excellent turn of pace on a number of occasions.
Aden Baldwin - 7
Get's better with every single game. His calmness and composure with the ball is so reassuring and his importance to the back three can not be understated. Provided a scare in the first half when going down injured.
Richard Brindley - 6
Struggled initially with the presence of Inih Effiong, but grew into the game and dealt well with the few Aldershot attacks in the second half.
Adam Chicksen - 6
A solid start on his return to the side, with his effect on the game going forward nullified throughout. Remained defensively switched on and was a continuous outlet despite not receiving the ball.
Aaron Nemane - 8.5
A constant threat down the right-hand side with his pace and trickery, providing an influential role in O'Brien's opener. Arguably his best defensive performance too, with barely anything coming down his side. Showed great composure with his strike late on, the perfect way to cap an excellent afternoon.
Jim O'Brien - 8.5
Influential on his return to the side, showcasing the versatility in his game by proving an asset in both attack and defence. Netted the opener with a close-range finish and produced a composed showing.
Matty Palmer - 7
Another composed and controlled performance from the midfielder. Rarely gave the ball away and was on hand to cover defensively when Aldershot tried to counter-attack.
Ruben Rodrigues - 7.5
Found some good positions in the first half but was wasteful and hesitant to shoot, but was rewarded in the second half with an excellent finish from the edge of the area and grew into the game.
Cedwyn Scott - 7
Not on the scoresheet, but his overall play was excellent. Showed great tenacity and desire to win the ball high up the pitch on several occasions, with his build-up pivotal when Notts went forward.
Macaulay Langstaff - 6.5
His work off the ball was tremendous, proving to be a real nuisance all afternoon with his tireless pressing.
SUBS:
John Bostock - 6
His experience on the ball allowed Notts to see the game out comfortably.
Geraldo Bajrami - 6
Produced several incisive passes from defence and look comfortable during his 20-minute cameo.
Quevin Castro - 6
A late change for Scott. Hopefully not his last in a Notts shirt.
READ NEXT:
- Mark Stallard makes Macaulay Langstaff admission following early season prediction
- Luke Williams provides loan update on three Notts County players
- Notts County boss reiterates Sam Slocombe importance despite Oldham mistake
- Matt Palmer explains new Notts County partnership and adapting to life under Luke Williams
