JEFF Hughes put Notts County 1-0 ahead against Colchester United at Meadow Lane today, but the Magpies were being held 1-1 at half-time.
Hughes netted his second goal in two games on 18 minutes, but striker Jabo Ibehre equalised for the visitors in the League One clash on 37 minutes.
The Magpies sprang a big surprise by throwing youngsters Haydn Hollis, Curtis Thompson and Tyrell Waite into their team to face The U's.
For Thompson and Waite it was their full debuts for the club.
Hollis joined Dean Leacock in central defence, Thompson started on the right wing and Waite was paired with Enoch Showunmi in attack.
Notts were missing suspended duo Alan Judge and Andre Boucaud and captain Neal Bishop was sidelined with a hamstring injury so Hughes and Joss Labadie started in central midfield and Jamal Campbell-Ryce was named on the left wing.
Bartosz Bialkowski began in goal, Gary Liddle started at right-back and Alan Sheehan was named at left-back.
The visitors were first to threaten and it took a good save from Bialkowski to deny Drey Wright on 14 minutes, the Pole tipping a powerful low shot from the midfielder past his left-hand post.
Ibehre then wasted a great chance to score two minutes later, heading over the crossbar from inside the six-yard box from a corner.
It was a big let off for Notts and they quickly hit back.
Campbell-Ryce smashed a long-range shot just wide and Hughes then scored to put them 1-0 ahead, sliding in to convert Waite's low cross into the six-yard box.
Waite then went close to doubling the Magpies' lead on 28 minutes.
Sheehan swung a free-kick into the penalty area that fell to him just inside the six-yard box and he steered the ball at goal, but Colchester goalkeeper Sam Walker parried it away.
It proved a vital save because the visitors equalised on 37 minutes, Ibehre tapping the ball into the net from close range at the far post from Andrew Bond's low cross.