Cove Rangers and Ayr United played out a pulsating 2-2 draw at Somerset Park.
Dipo Akinyemi gave Ayr the lead, only for Connor Scully to equalise with his sixth goal of the season.
Alex Kirk put the Honest Men back in front only for Gerry McDonagh to peg them back in the second half.
The result keeps Cove in eighth in the Championship, ahead of a trip to Hamilton next weekend.
Cove made two changes from the defeat to Inverness, with Shay Logan and Cieran Dunne coming out of the side for Evan Towler and Gerry McDonagh.
Summer signing McDonagh had made only previous league start for Cove, in the 2-1 defeat to Queen’s Park where he was substituted at half-time through injury.
In the early throws of the game he showed promising signs of linking up with strike partner Mitch Megginson, while Luis Longstaff and Max Johnston fashioned numerous crossing opportunities from the right.
The first shot at goal came from a McDonagh knock-down, with Mark Reynolds – up from a previous corner – having a shot from 25 yards which goalkeeper Charlie Albinson struggled to gather.
Ayr had outplayed Cove in the reverse fixture earlier this season and showed signs of their attacking capabilities. Josh Mullin was denied by Kyle Gourlay at his near post before Frankie Musonda’s shot through a crowd of bodies was diverted on to the crossbar by Andy Murdoch.
Longstaff, awaiting his first goal for Cove, drew a smart stop from Albinson after working space for himself just outside the area.
There was an even better chance for the visitors just after as Scully’s cross picked out Megginson. However the captain was unable to sort his feet out, scuffing a shot harmlessly off target.
The game had sparked into life and this time it was Gourlay breathing a sigh of relief as Musonda’s effort squirmed through him and rolled narrowly wide of the post. Logan Chalmers drilled just past the post from the resulting corner.
Chalmers was involved when Ayr did break the deadlock on 29 minutes as Gourlay parried his strike from just outside the box straight to Akinyemi, who turned home.
Ayr’s lead lasted only two minutes. Longstaff’s cross from the right was met by the head of Blair Yule and while Albinson parried, Scully was on hand to convert the rebound.
The hosts were back in front again five minutes later, with Kirk escaping his marker to head a Chalmers corner in.
Dundee United loanee Chalmers was irrepressible, menacing the Cove defence cutting inside from the right flank. He drew another save out of Gourlay before the interval and Andy Murdoch, on the follow-up, was kept out.
It was naive to expect this game not to have more twists and turns and Cove provided the next one seven minutes into the second half. Great link-up between Longstaff and Megginson fed McDonagh and he managed to sneak a shot past Albinson.
The frantic pace continued, with Mullin firing over when through on goal and having another effort blocked, as bodies were being put on the line at both ends.
Albinson was at full stretch to keep out Megginson and Gourlay clung on to Murdoch’s strike at the second attempt, as both sides pressed for a winner.
Ayr and their supporters grew frustrated with Cove’s efforts to run down the clock late on they were forced to settle for a point.
AYR UNITED (4-4-2) – Albinson 6; Houston 6, Musonda 6, Kirk 6, Reading 6, Mullin 7, Dempsey 6, Murdoch 7, Chalmers 8 (Ashford 78), Young 6 (McKenzie 78), Akinyemi 7 (Mitchell-Lawson 78). Subs not used – McAdams, O’Connor, McGinty, Bangala, McAllister, Smith.
COVE RANGERS (4-4-2) – Gourlay 6; Johnston 6, Sanders 6, Reynolds 6, Towler 6 (Leitch 63), Longstaff 7 (Dunne 90), Yule 6, Gilmour 7, Scully 6, McDonagh 7 (Vigurs 88), Megginson 7. Subs not used – Ross, Neill.
Referee – Callum Scott.
Attendance – 1,847.
Player of the match – Logan Chalmers.