ANDRE Boucaud scored his first goal in over a year to help inspire Notts County to a 2-1 win against Coventry City in League One today.
The on-loan midfielder netted with a super strike towards the end of the first half at the Ricoh Arena to put the Magpies 1-0 ahead.
French striker Yoann Arquin doubled their lead with his fourth goal of the season on 85 minutes, before defender Richard Wood pulled one back for City on 88 minutes during a dramatic finale.
The victory extends the Magpies' unbeaten away league run to 14 games.
Notts were missing their star midfielder Alan Judge through injury, but Dean Leacock passed a late fitness test to start in central defence.
He was partnered by on-loan centre-back Ashley Eastham, who made his full debut, as Gary Liddle was switched to right-back and Jordan Stewart started at left-back, in front of No.1 Bartosz Bialkowski.
Captain Neal Bishop, Boucaud and Jeff Hughes were in midfield and Arquin spearheaded a three-man attack, which also included Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Francois Zoko.
Nottingham Forest striker David McGoldrick, who is on loan at the Ricoh, started in attack for the Sky Blues.
Both sides threatened in the opening minutes.
Arquin drove a cross into Coventry's penalty area to Bishop on three minutes and he struck a low shot at goal that was blocked and Arquin headed over the bar from the subsequent corner.
McGoldrick then sent John Fleck racing into the Magpies' box a minute later and Bialkowski saved his shot with his legs.
McGoldrick was looking a big threat and he tested Bialkowski with a close-range header from a corner on 18 minutes, just after Arquin had missed a low cross into the box by Zoko.
Bialkowski made another good save on 20 minutes to deny the home side, parrying away a powerful shot from Callum Ball from the edge of the penalty area.
The rebound fell to Fleck and he struck it wide of the Pole's right-hand post.
Notts then went close to breaking the deadlock only a minute later.
Campbell-Ryce spun past his marker, raced into the box and drove a low shot across the face of goal and just wide of the far post.
The Magpies' winger later tested Coventry goalkeeper Joe Murphy with a 25-yard free-kick before Ball wasted a glorious chance to put the home side 1-0 ahead on 32 minutes.
City midfielder James Bailey swept a great low cross into the six-yard box from the right, but Ball completely missed the ball as he slid in to try and prod it past Bialkowski.
Having survived an almighty scare, Notts then threatened on 36 minutes, Boucaud threading the ball through for Jeff Hughes, who forced Murphy into a good save with a shot from inside the box.
Boucaud then fired the Magpies 1-0 ahead on 39 minutes with his first goal for the club.
It was a wonderful strike too, as he controlled a lay off from Zoko, stepped forward and smashed the ball beyond Murphy and inside his right-hand post from 25 yards.
Not one Coventry player closed him down and he punished them big time, although less than a minute later Bialkowski made another good save to stop Franck Moussa swiftly equalising.
Leading 1-0, Notts began the second half well and Arquin almost created a chance for Jeff Hughes to double their lead on 50 minutes, but Wood cleared the Frenchman's low cross into the six-yard box at the near post.
Zoko stung Murphy's palms with a powerful shot from 20 yards on 54 minutes and then spurned a good chance to score two minutes later.
Bishop spotted Jeff Hughes surging forward and measured a magnificent cross into the box for him and he laid the ball off to the Ivorian, but he hit a shot high and wide.
Zoko had another chance on 64 minutes, seizing onto Bishop's header back across goal, but Murphy palmed his effort away.
The Magpies looked in control of the game, although there was a scare on 78 minutes when Fleck got into the box, but Leacock was there to hack the ball clear.
Lee Hughes then came on against his old club on 79 minutes to a chorus of boos from the home fans.
Notts doubled their lead six minutes later.
Jeff Hughes laid the ball to Arquin 25 yards out and he made no mistake, driving a powerful shot past Murphy and inside his left-hand post.
But Coventry hit back quickly to setup a tense finale, Wood powering a header past Bialkowski from Fleck's corner on 88 minutes.
There were four minutes of injury time and City piled the pressure on Notts, but they held on to claim a vital victory.
COVENTRY: Murphy, Clarke, Wood, Cameron, Reckord (Hussey, 79), Baker (Jennings, 61), Fleck, Bailey (McDonald, 65), Moussa, Ball, McGoldrick. Subs: Dunn, Elliott, Christie, Edjenguele.
NOTTS: Bialkowski, Liddle, Leacock, Eastham, Stewart, Bishop, Boucaud, J Hughes, Campbell-Ryce (Mahon, 88), Zoko (L Hughes, 79), Arquin. Subs: Pilkington, Sheehan, Bencherif, Showunmi, Nangle.
ATTENDANCE: 11,882 (1,356 away).