JEFF Hughes looks set to complete a hat-trick of records at Notts County – but he won't be celebrating.
The Northern Ireland midfielder loved it when he scored a career-high 17 goals last season and also when the Magpies went 22 away games unbeaten to break a long-standing club record.
But he will hate it if Notts draw more games this season than they ever have done in 151 years.
The Magpies have twice drawn 18 league games in a season in their long history, way back in 1968/69 and then only five seasons ago in 2007/08.
They have drawn 16 times so far during this campaign with six games to go – and Hughes said: "It's not really a record you look forward to."
Boss Chris Kiwomya has also expressed his desire to avoid equalling, or even worse, breaking the unwanted record, with so many draws having already almost certainly cost them a place in the play-offs in League One.
They would be in the top-six if they had turned just a few of their draws into wins, but instead they are seven points off the pace in 11th place ahead of facing Brentford at Griffin Park tomorrow (3pm) – and, guess what, they have drawn eight of their last nine games against the Bees.
"I don't think we've scored enough," said Hughes.
"I think we've created a lot of chances and you've got to take those chances as the crowd get frustrated when you're just going backwards and sideways.
"If you're scoring and you're doing it then it's brilliant, but if you're not then it's very frustrating to watch and that kind of builds up in the end and when things don't go well for a few weeks it can turn on you and you have to go back to basics."
The stats back Hughes up because the Magpies have the ninth-best scoring record in the division with 52 goals and have the fourth-best defence, having conceded 39, which is the same as league leaders Doncaster Rovers.
"I think the defence this year has been very good," added Hughes.
"Dean Leacock and Gary Liddle have been unbelievable all year and also Bart, so you've got the spine there.
"The defence in general has been good, but those three have been outstanding.
"I think only Sheffield United and Swindon in the top have conceded less than us which is very impressive.
"But the midfielders and forwards should have probably done more to win more games."
Frustrated Hughes thinks Notts have thrown away valuable points this season.
"Our away record has been well documented but at home it's not been as good, things like Bournemouth and Crawley are two standout games," he said.
"I was playing left-back against Crawley and I just had nothing to do for most of the game.
"In the first half we had so many chances and then they got one and it kind of knocks confidence.
"And against Bournemouth we were 2-0 up and the guy miss-hit a shot and it went through about three people and sneaked in the front post.
"Things like that are what stick in your head at the end of a season.
"Last year I always remembered Leyton Orient here when I missed a penalty and I think 'if I had scored that we would have been in the play-offs'. Things like that always stick in your mind until you put them right, really.
"You can't keep saying we need a bit of luck. I think we're a bit naive sometimes.
"A couple of teams have broke on us this year and people maybe should have been, and I suppose I'm really not allowed to say it, but they should have been taken out at the halfway line so we're naive in that sense.
"We do seem to make a lot of chances, but you read some of the stats after the game and we've had one shot or three shots on target all game and you think back and think we've had chances, but our final ball hasn't been there – and to be fair that's something we've been working on with Chris (Kiwomya).
"I think sometimes a natural goal-scorer (is what we are) missing.
"We were linked with a lot of strikers at the start of the season and a lot of them have been the top strikers in the league.
"You could say if we had them, but obviously it's easy saying that because they could have come to us and not scored a goal, you never know.
"It's been a bit of a settling in period what with the new manager, I think we've been a bit unlucky and we've tried a few different things.
"If you look at the goals column we're plus 13 and have only conceded 39 all season, so we should have been scoring more. I think we've got 16 draws, if you could even turn a third of those into wins we'd be in a lot healthier position.
"Crawley here was a big one, we could have been 5-0 up at half-time and we ended up going in 1-1 at the break I think and in the end we were lucky to get the draw from a really commanding position.
"Bournemouth again, they scored very late on. Things like that we seem to be throwing away and it can build up frustration and can dampen the mood.
"We've got to try and beat teams above us which we haven't done a lot of in the last two seasons, which has kind of been a problem.
"We've tended to beat teams in mid-table or below, but we really need to pick up results against the top teams if we have any serious chance of making the play-offs.
"We're not in a position to look beyond the next game, never mind any cliches. If we don't start winning we can forget about the play-offs, it's got to that stage for us.
"We're not sitting pretty and can't afford a couple of defeats.
"If we lose the next two games and the teams above us win then we are realistically going to struggle to get even close to it."
