Cove Rangers were pegged back late on as Toyosi Olusanya grabbed a late equaliser for Arbroath at the Balmoral Stadium.
Leighton McIntosh looked to have given the home side all three points before his fellow substitute levelled in this nervy clash.
Connor Scully flashed the first chance of the game wide from a half-cleared free-kick but two teams struggling for form at the bottom of the Championship were not creating too many opportunities.
Gime Touré, making his first Cove start, scuffed a shot wide after his side countered on Arbroath, before Sean Adarkwa took a wild swipe at Dale Hilson’s pass and missed it completely.
Arbroath started to come into the game after the interval, with a deflected Michael McKenna attempt looping into Scott Fox’s arms.
Had Touré got greater weight on his pass Mitch Megginson could have had a free sight at goal, however it was under-hit and goalkeeper Derek Gaston was able to intercept.
Within minutes of each other Bobby Linn glanced the crossbar and David Gold scuffed his shot straight at Fox, as the tension at the Balmoral Stadium ramped up.
But with 15 minutes to go McIntosh struck, crashing past Derek Gaston after Luis Longstaff played him in.
It appeared to be a much-needed win for Cove until Olusanya netted with a minute of normal time remaining.
Touré a new dimension to Cove attack
There was not too much known about Touré when he joined up with his new team-mates after the transfer deadline.
Released by Yeovil in December, he had spent time back in his native France prior to getting the call to come to Cove.
He was given half-an-hour in the defeat to Dundee but was Mitch Megginson’s partner in attack against Arbroath.
Touré is quick, direct and has a willingness to drive at defenders. Cove tried to find him in space, either with room to run at an opponent or vacant space in behind to run into.
The one drawback was at times, he was too eager to go to ground. On one occasion he only had one man to beat before getting through on goal and he opted to play for a foul, rather than taking him on.
He looks to be a player that can both excite and frustrate but he is a presence defenders have to account for.
Relegation battle remains clear as mud
A point really does neither side any favours here.
Both sides have had patchy form and a win would have gone a long way towards easing some tension.
But with Hamilton Accies sweeping aside Caley Thistle in the Highlands it just compacts the bottom of the table even more.
Accies, after looking like they were cut adrift, are now just a point behind ninth-placed Arbroath, with Cove four points better off and a place higher.
There will be twists and turns aplenty to come as the games for all three sides run out.
Cove reverting to a back three
It was the system that served Cove well under Hartley last season so it was little surprise to see them revert to it for a game of this magnitude.
Playing three in midfield allowed them to utilise Iain Vigurs, who is still very tidy on the ball but lacks the legs to get up and down the park.
Pairing him with David Bangala and Miko Virtanen provided the energy but also protection, to allow Vigurs to be more creative.
It asked a lot of Shay Logan and Connor Scully as the wing-backs but both were able to get forward and be an option out wide.
The system made Cove more solid through the middle and could be one they opt to stick with going forward.
Player ratings
COVE RANGERS (3-5-2) – Fox 6; Naismith 6, Neill 6, Reynolds 6, Logan 6, Bangala 7 (Dunne 70), Vigurs 7, Virtanen 6 (Longstaff 69), Scully 6, Touré 6 (McIntosh 69), Megginson 6 (Ross 84). Subs not used – Gourlay, McClelland, Weston, Glass.
ARBROATH (4-4-2) – Gaston 6; Banks 6, Little 6, O’Brien 6, Hamilton 6, Stewart 5 (El-Mhanni 46), McKenna 7, Gold 6 (Dow 73), Hetherington 5 (Linn 46), Hilson 6 (Olusanya 60), Adarkwa 5 (Balde 46). Subs not used – Gill, Komolafe, Tait, Bitsindou.
Referee – Alan Muir.
Attendance – 1,529.
Star man
Iain Vigurs – Brought a measure of control to what was a fraught and chaotic game.
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