The first half was a torrid affair with Brentford, using five players in midfield, smothering the County attacks but themselves being unable to contribute anything much upfront.
The outcome was that neither keeper had a save to make in the first 45 minutes. It was a better story after the break, and it needed to be.
At last, goalkeepers were having work to do but County's Kevin Pilkington had no chance when the visitors from West London took a shock lead in the 63rd minute.
County new boy Richard Butcher failed to spot danger as it arose down the right attacking flank and, when the ball was switched into the middle, Kevin O'Connor had the simplest of chances to side foot the ball over the line from close-range.
County stepped up their game and visitors keeper Ben Hamer excelled with a brilliant save at the expense of a corner to deny home substitute Jay Smith.
However, the keeper was helpless when Notts found an equaliser eight minutes from the end.
Karleigh Osborne, who had been outstanding throughout in the Bees' defence, got into a tangle and the ball fell loose to home midfielder Butcher. The ex-Peterborough man had time to pick his spot with a cracking volley that crashed inside the keeper's left-hand post.
County's Jason Lee then had a late flying header just off target - as he did in the first half - before Hamer made another good save from Lee, with O'Connor following up to hack the ball off the line.
Both teams went looking for a winner but in the end Brentford had to be more satisfied with the outcome than Notts.