The start of the campaign made under new, experienced manager Gudjon Thordarson, saw Notts rise to the summit of League 2 by the end of August, gave renewed vigour to long-suffering supporters of the Magpies.
Despite many setbacks as the season has progressed, Notts have somehow managed to remain within reach of attaining one of the division's four playoff slots.
However, a recent run of four consecutive defeats going into yesterday's fixture, has seen the optimism wade. Underneath, it seems that the optimism is actually blind, and totally distorts reality.
Because in fact, at this stage of last season, Notts had more points than they have now. Last season was the campaign of a relegation battle, so have Notts improved all that much?
Todays clash with near-neighbours Lincoln City at Sincil Bank did represent a chance for Thordarson's men to revive a season that is threatening to descend into a lowly bottom half finish.
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Lincoln, meanwhile, have recovered after a far from convincing start, to move to within a point of a playoff place at the start of proceedings yesterday.
In a bid to halt the dramatic slump, Thordarson reverted to an orthodox 4-4-2 formation, following months of the more defensive minded 5-3-2.
Returning to the side for the first time since the turn of the year was left back Rob Ullathorne. Nathan Doyle, signed from Derby County on a month's loan, made his debut as right full-back with Lewis McMahon surprisingly employed as a right-winger, considering the presence in the Xl of David Pipe.
Captain Julien Baudet was suspended, so Mike Edwards took the armband. Dan Chillingworth was partnered by Steve Scoffham in attack, with Eugene Dadi dropping to the bench.
The hosts began brightly, with manager Keith Alexander sending out a three-pronged attack of Simon Yeo, Francis Green and Gary Birch. A long ball (what else?) from midfield saw the pacy Yeo get in behind Doyle and Brian O’Callaghan, but as Yeo burst into the box Kelvin Wilson spotted the danger and covered O’Callaghan to whip the ball from the striker's feet as he prepared to pull the trigger.
If the home fans thought they would be in for an easy ride however, they were very much mistaken, as Notts heeded that early warning and instead took the game to the Imps.
Despite being in an unfamiliar position, McMahon was excelling in the early stages, as he and Pipe linked up to good effect. Unfortunately for Notts, the final cross was not being capitalised on by any Notts attacker.
Despite Notts’ pressure, and the occasional good move, finishing efforts were few and far between, and it was Lincoln who were the first to test a goalkeeper.
Yeo once again caught the right hand side of Notts’ defence napping, but when clean through on goal he was denied by a quite extraordinary one handed tip by Kevin Pilkington in the Notts goal. It was the best chance of the game at that point, and Lincoln looked to build on that almost immediately.
Pilkington was drawn off his line by Green, only for O’Callaghan to race into goal and clear Greens goal-bound effort from the line.
No matter the toil of Edwards and Pipe in midfield, Notts’ strikeforce were yet again devoid of the touch of class that could send the travelling army of 900 fans into delirium.
Instead it was left only to Chris Palmer's corners to provide inspiration, with Edwards and Wilson both heading wide.
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Colin Cryan tossed a throw-in into the box and while the static County defence stood and watched, Nottingham-born Green hooked an audacious ball back over his head and subsequently over Pilkington, for the opening goal of the match in first half stoppage time.
As with the defeats against Peterborough, Grimsby and Wycombe, Notts had conceded just before half-time. The goal seemed to have struck a key blow, as Thordarson's boys appeared with a sense of injustice after the break.
Indeed, without troubling Andy Marriot in the Lincoln goal, Notts had pressured the Imps on numerous occasions, but had simply lacked the quality upfront needed to test such a physical defence.
Instead it was left to Green to test Pilkington again. Ullathorne was able to block a first effort by the former Peterborough ace, with Pilkington easily claiming his follow-up shot.
McMahon then produced a moment of magic, as he threaded a delicious ball through for Scoffham. The former Gedling man scored for the reserves in midweek, but lacked the necessary sharpness to convert his only real chance in the game.
Despite being in the clear and in the box, his shot was more or less straight at Marriot, who dramatically tipped wide, more one for the cameras than a genuine acrobatic save.
The Notts supporters were at least winning the battle on the terraces, a decent atmosphere being whipped up by the travelling army, as they continued to back their men.
The game was hotting up, but it could have been all over in the 54th minute when Green again beat the Notts back line. Pilkington raced out of his goal in a bid to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick, but Green robbed him, and as Pilkington slipped over whilst off the pitch, a second goal looked a certainty.
However, Ullathorne used all his experience to block Green's effort with his hand. It was a yellow card worth getting.
In his haste to get back into the game Thordarson sent on giant Malian Noe Sissoko and Nottingham Forest loanee Dadi.
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It was no surprise that it came from a set-piece. Palmer finally got his delivery right from a deep wide-left free-kick, Edwards deftly flicking the ball past Marriot with a stooping header.
Notts failed to build on the goal though, with it instead serving to only galvanise promotion-chasing Lincoln. It took the home side just nine minutes to regain the lead.
Jeff Hughes turned Pipe inside-out on the left-hand side, before delivering an excellent cross that was met at the back post by Jamie McCombe, who jumped higher than Sissoko to loop a header over Pilkington.
Notts looked devastated, and despite Dadi having an effort ruled out for foul play, Yeo should have buried the game with a header from six-yards out missing the far post only by inches.
The Magpies have endured a miserable month, losing every single game in February. Meanwhile, Lincoln march into the playoff zone. The difference between the sides was never that stark, and Notts were certainly worthy of a point. However, that doesn’t say much, as both sides lacked sufficient quality. Lincoln though have people capable of putting the ball in the back of the net and that was the difference.
Despite trying yet another fresh striking partnership, Notts still look woefully blunt in attack.
It's not quite got to the stage where we, as fans, are longing for a new manager but improvement on last season is deemed the minimum requirement and at the moment Notts are barely achieving that.
Bring on the Mansfield.