Elgin City boss Gavin Price admitted his side’s 1-1 draw against Kelty Hearts felt like a defeat.
The Borough Briggs side were denied three points by a Kallum Higginbotham effort in the 93rd minute at New Central Park.
Price’s side looked set to hold on for the first victory on the road in League Two this term before Kelty’s talisman hammered home from outside the penalty area deep in injury time.
The Elgin manager said: “Probably in the cold light of day coming down and getting a 1-1 draw is a good result but the position we were in, how hard we worked and where we were in the game it is gut-wrenching.
“We had to be better in terms of composure and keeping the ball better in that last ten minutes.
“We invited the pressure on to ourselves but it is hard luck when you lose a goal at that stage.
“But you need to play in a way that gets you the three points in those 90 or in this case 94 minutes.
“I think we invited to much pressure on by not keeping our composure.
“We set the team out to frustrate Kelty and that was the right approach and is testament to how hard the boys worked.
“Systems don’t really matter if you don’t work and we got the joy on this occasion because they worked so hard for each other and that brought success.
“It is unfortunate it is not more than one point, but it is a good starting point to build on. The players worked as a team and in the last few games that maybe hasn’t been the case.”
Kelty would have felt the equaliser was no more than they deserved after enjoying the bulk of possession and looking dangerous in attack, especially in the first half.
Kelty could have had the lead as early as 43 seconds when Alfredo Agyeman was sent clear, but Thomas McHale stood up well to save.
Further home chances arrived for Joseph Cardle, Jamie Barjonas and Nathan Austin before Elgin took the lead against the run of play.
A long free kick was lifted into the box with a melee of bodies in the middle all hitting the deck the outcome was the ref pointing to the spot and Archie MacPhee made no mistake from 12 yards out sending the goalie the wrong way.
This would be Elgin’s only shot in the entire encounter, but it was a lead they held doggedly in the second half. Kelty were rarely without the ball but every cross into the box was met by an Elgin head or McHale’s arms.
Full time here in Fife as it ends level here as kelty get a very late goal 1-1⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/ty5z3njFcJ
— Elgin City F.C. (@ElginCityFC) September 11, 2021
However Higginbotham would have the final say with that injury time equaliser and Price and his men must now dust themselves down and go again.