By Joe Jones
Walsall started the game brightly, and Bartosz Bialkowski, reinstated to the team after his injury spell, was forced into a save early on, a Jamie Paterson shot defused by Gary Liddle before being picked up by the keeper.
Shortly after, Grigg rounded the Pole and could have scored if not for Alan Judge who heroically cleared the shot off the line.
Neal Bishop, back in the team, attempted a wayward shot, but thirteen minutes in, the game appeared to have settled into a bit of a lull on the bumpy Bescot Stadium pitch.
Fabien Brandy, who had a spell at Notts in 2011, was fouled by Alan Sheehan on twenty minutes, but the ensuing free-kick came to nothing.
Half an hour in, Bialkowski rushed out to try and deny Paterson, but in the process fouled the striker and earned Walsall a penalty, which Grigg converted to give the Saddlers the lead.
Buoyed by the goal, Walsall began threatening the Notts goal further. Brandy cut inside and fired, but Bialkowski came out on top. Just four minutes later, he powered a header towards goal which again was saved.
As is often the case, former players are the most dangerous to play against, and Notts alumni Brandy and Craig Westcarr combined to breach the Notts defence, before Grigg's effort was skied.
The half petered out uneventfully, save for a firework being set off from one of the stands which halted the game for a number of seconds, and 1-0 was the half time scoreline.
The second half began brightly for Notts, who replaced Blythe with Yoann Arquin. Jamal Campbell Ryce cut inside in the Walsall area and fired towards the goal. His shot saved, the ensuing corner saw Jeff Hughes power a header against the keeper and scrambled clear.
Shortly afterwards, Arquin and Judge weighed in with good efforts of their own, before a Sheehan free-kick saw Hughes and Judge again come very close to scoring. But 1-0 it remained at this stage.
Liddle, having a great game, was the hero on the hour as a Westcarr chance was blocked by the defender.
The Notts pressure in the second half finally paid off as Arquin, from a JCR cross, fired low into the corner, sending the travelling fans into ecstasy. 1-1, 66 minutes played, game on.
On 78, a penalty appeal was turned down as Brandy was felled in the area, luckily for Notts. The ensuing counter attack however came to nothing.
Just four minutes later, JCR bombed down the flank after Bishop won the ball back, before cutting inside and curling an effort towards goal, but this was saved.
Just two minutes before full time, a Sheehan free kick was so nearly converted by Arquin, who completely changed the game after coming on, but the header was just wide.
The closing stages of the game saw Gavin Mahon replace Hughes, and the game, lacking a climactic finish, ended 1-1, a precious away point against a dangerous side.
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