Buckie Thistle’s Jack Murray was relieved to score the goal to keep their Breedon Highland League title challenge alive after fearing his mistake had cost them.
The defender grabbed a 95th minute equaliser for the Jags against Wick Academy on Wednesday night to take the title race down to the wire.
Buckie are three points behind and need to beat Clachnacuddin tomorrow and hope Fraserburgh lose to Forres Mechanics.
They also require a three-goal swing in their favour to win the title on goal difference.
Murray was fearing their hopes would already be over after his loose back-pass allowed Wick to take the lead on Wednesday evening.
Thistle then had to rely on goalkeeper Kevin Main to stop the Scorries scoring a second before Murray netted a last-gasp leveller.
The 21-year-old defender said: “Looking back I should kick the ball out of play and regroup from there.
“But I was looking to give it back to Kevin Main so we could start another attack, but looking back I should’ve just kicked it out.
“I wish my goal had come 10 minutes earlier so we had the chance to get another goal.
“But the most important thing is that it keeps us in the hunt.
“It was relief really when the goal went in because it gives ourselves a chance.
“It felt like a night where nothing was going to go for us, we had chances to to win the game but the ball wouldn’t go in.
“Credit to Wick they were dangerous on the break and Kevin made two great saves to keep us in it.
“That’s something he’s done for the last 700 games or however many games he’s played in the Highland League.”
Murray doesn’t want to know the score
Murray felt Buckie fell short of their usual standards in midweek as their 23-game winning streak in the league came to an end.
But they still found a way to keep themselves in contention to win the championship when they visit Grant Street Park.
On what could be an epic afternoon for the Highland League, Murray says he won’t want to hear the score from Fraserburgh’s game while the Jags are taking on Clach.
He added: “We were disappointed, we’d won 23 league games but we fell a bit short against Wick.
“The Highland League Cup final (last Saturday) took a bit out of us, but there were no excuses on the night and my mistake probably cost us three points.
“However, we’re still in the race for the title, we’ve taken it to the last day and anything can happen.
“To be honest I’d prefer not to know the score during the game and find out afterwards.
“But it will be an exciting day for everyone involved and great for the league that it’s going to the last day.
“As a footballer you want to win titles, all sorts could happen and it says a lot about the character of everyone that we’ve still got a chance.”
