Elgin City squandered the lead for the second consecutive game to lose 2-1 to East Stirling, who moved four points clear of the Moray outfit in League 2.
Attacker Shane Sutherland headed Elgin into a fourth-minute lead. However, his opener was cancelled out by David McKenna’s fine equaliser just after the half-hour mark, with Kevin Nesbit winning the game at the death for Craig Tully’s side.
Elgin manager Jim Weir made two changes to the side defeated 2-1 at home to Queen’s Park on Saturday.
On-loan Dundee midfielder Jamie Reid was handed his first start for the club in place of Brian Cameron, while youngster Ceiran Maclean came in for Mark Nicolson.
Shire began the night in sixth place, one point ahead of City following an impressive 2-0 win against East Fife on Saturday.
The hosts set the early pace, taking a deserved lead after just four minutes. Daniel Moore flighted in a tempting from the right flank, and Sutherland rose to bullet a header past goalkeeper Richie Barnard from eight yards.
Sutherland had the ball in the net once again moments later after getting on the end of Craig Thomson’s cross, only to be denied by an offside flag.
Another Moore delivery set up another half-chance on 10 minutes, with his corner headed straight into Barnard’s arms by the unmarked Jamie Duff.
Sublime skill by Darryl McHardy in Shire’s penalty box on 20 minutes saw the left back engineer a shooting chance for himself, but he dragged his shot wide, with Elgin looking by far the likelier to score the game’s next goal.
The visitors’ first glimpse wasn’t until the 29th minute as David Greenhill’s low corner was swept harmlessly over the bar by Ross Gilmour.
However, the Ochilview side levelled three minutes later when Kevin Nesbit’s cross from the right found its way to the far post, where David McKenna was lurking to loop a header over the head of Ross Laidlaw and into the far corner.
An injury to assistant referee David Watt delayed the start of the second half but soon after play resumed Elgin were inches from regaining their lead when Sutherland swivelled on the edge of the box before firing just wide.
Moments later Reid tried his luck from an acute angle with his effort cannoning off team-mate Craig Gunn.
McHardy nodded over from Moore’s free kick eight minutes from time in Elgin’s best late chance.
However, a late breakaway from Nesbit saw him go one-on-one with Laidlaw, poking the ball beyond the on-loan Raith Rovers goalkeeper with just a minute left.