It's games like these that decide whether or not Notts County will be successful this season.
The likes of Swindon Town and Wycombe Wanderers will no doubt be challenging for promotion come the end of the season, and Notts earned four out of six home points out of those two.
The likes of Stockport County and Accrington Stanley will be neither here nor there, and Notts have picked up a maximum six from six when facing these two at home.
Those statistics, added to the fact that Notts are still unbeaten at home, will give supporters much scope for optimism. If the Magpies were to continue that kind of form, a successful season will be round the corner, there's no doubt about that.
On the other side, the performance against Stockport wasn't great, and will need to improve if those statistics are to have any chance of continuing.
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A solitary Junior Mendes strike was enough to secure all three points, in front of a sparse crowd of 4,021.
Manager Steve Thompson made one change from the side that drew 1-1 with Swindon on Saturday. Ian Ross, who impressed as a second half substitute and created Alan White's equaliser, replaced Dan Martin in midfield.
Stockport, who won at Grimsby on Saturday, arrived after also defeating Wrexham a week earlier, and so were sure to be in confident form.
An enticing battle was apparently going to surface, but both sides were rather lacklustre, not surprising given that they had played eleven games between them so far in September.
Notts had the brighter start. After Austin McCann released Mendes down the left channel, he outwitted Ashley Williams and chipped across goal. The onrushing Pipe met the ball well but couldn't keep his header down. Still, an impressive start, if only the game continued in that vein.
However, neither side seemed able to raise the tempo, and the ball spent almost as much time in the air as on the floor.
The visitors were next to force danger. Liam Dickinson turned Notts defender White, and raced clear into the penalty area. Kevin Pilkington rushed from his goal and got the slightest of touches to deflect Dickinson's effort just wide of the post.
The corner came to nothing, and neither did the game, as a chess tie surfaced. Both sides looked cagey and devoid of ideas, until Notts broke the deadlock.
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Shortly after, Jason Lee, who was later booked and as a result will miss the derby clash at Mansfield Town, hit the post. A right-wing cross was flicked past Ruddy by Lee, but the post saved Stockport's on-loan ‘keeper.
Pilkington then saved from Jason Taylor's low drive, and Notts were able to see out the game until half-time.
A massive improvement was needed in terms of the performance. However, there was no doubting Notts' lead, and regardless of the second-half performance, keeping that intact was vital.
Stockport were largely the better side in the second period. After making a double half-time substitution, Jim Gannon had clearly ordered his Stockport side to demonstrate a better attacking philosophy.
Nevertheless, despite entertaining slightly more possession, it was Notts who created the better chances.
David Pipe fizzed a delicious cross right past onrushing strikers and just clear of Ruddy's goal, before Gleeson went on a mazy run, past several Stockport defenders, only to see his shot went agonizingly wide.
Ian Ross' corners were continuing to cause the Hatters problems. White and Lee both came close from the deliveries, before Mendes shot wide.
Notts managed to see out the game with minimal fuss, though the football played certainly wasn't of the required standard, the result was.
With two challenging away games coming up, at high-flying Torquay United and then local rivals Mansfield Town, Notts will be analysed yet further, but if the statistics continue, success may be on the horizon.