Darren Bailey’s header three minutes into injury time pulled Lossiemouth to within one point of Fort William in the Highland League table last night.
John McLeod had put Fort in front five minutes into the second half at Grant Park, before Scott Miller equalised just before the hour-mark.
Lossie forward Shawn Scott was carrying an injury and only made the bench but the equally experienced Ryan Green returned to the squad and started in attack.
Fort’s 17-year-old goalkeeper Robin Harvey retained his place after a stellar performance in the 3-1 defeat against Formartine United last weekend.
Nick Stein almost opened the scoring for the Lochaber side in the third minute but Lossie goalkeeper Connor Hall parried his shot.
At the other end Coasters defender Tony Ross couldn’t quite manage to capitalise on a dangerous cross from the left flank.
The best chance of the opening stages fell to Scott Miller, but the Lossie player could only shoot high over the crossbar after running clean through on goal.
The visitors replied with a Callum MacLean effort which went well wide from just inside the box after he had been set up by Stein, who proved a handful for the home defence for much of the first half.
Lossie had two chances to go ahead just before the break. Only a timely block by Fort’s Kenny McKenzie prevented Joao Rodrigues tucking away the first, before Andreas Broomfield went one better than team-mate McKenzie by clearing a goal-bound shot off the line seconds later.
Just after the break Fort had the ball in the Lossie net but defender Ian Foggo was adjudged offside.
However, the Lochaber outfit were not to be denied and, in the 49th minute, they took the lead when Lossie’s Bryan Bell was short with his pass back and McLeod took advantage to slide ball under the onrushing Hall.
The home side levelled six minutes later when Miller atoned for his earlier miss by running through and slipping the ball past Harvey inside the box.
Lossie piled on the pressure and teenage Fort goalkeeper Harvey was on hand in the 73rd minute to stop a Willie Mathers header from giving the home side the lead.
With the game stretched and a little more than 10 minutes left Lossie brought on former Highland League player of the year Scott to replace Green in a last-ditch effort to secure full points.
And they did just that when Bailey’s injury time header gave Harvey no chance and moved Lossie on to 20 points with one match remaining.