Honours were even at Harlaw Park and there could be few complaints on a day when both managers were in charge of their new clubs for the first time.
Inverurie Locos manager Neil Cooper was the happier of the two after watching his side come back from 2-0 down to grab a point.
Cooper said: “We could have won it or lost it but it was second against 11th so it felt more like a victory against a team so high up in the table. This will give the lads confidence to keep improving.”
The Cattachs, who started the game with the experienced Steven Mackay in an unfamiliar left back role, took a controversial lead just before the half hour. The Locos players switched off when a ball was clearly over the line in front of the Brora dugout, but play was allowed to carry on and Zander Sutherland placed the ball from outside the left edge of the box inside goalkeeper Scott Mathieson’s left-hand post.
Jordan Leyden was denied an equaliser when his net-bound right foot strike was acrobatically tipped over by 16-year-old on-loan Ross County goalkeeper Ross Munro. Brora went 2-0 ahead in the 71st minute, teenager Daniel Crisp turning the ball past his own goalkeeper but within minutes Locos were level.
Firstly, central defender Kieran Adams was at the back post to powerfully head home Leyden’s inch-perfect cross and 60 seconds later Andy Hunter tapped home a rebound after Munro spilled a Colin Charlesworth shot into his path.
New Brora manager Ross Tokely said: “I’m pretty sick to be going away with only a point.
“I felt it was two points dropped, we dominated both halves and when we went 2-0 up I felt we were cruising. I can’t blame our young goalkeeper as he had a terrific game and made a save at 2-2 which kept us in the game.
“He is only 16. I came into this league at 16 so I know the challenge he faced but I have a lot of faith in him and that’s why he’s here.”