Brora Rangers came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with 10-man Fraserburgh in the Breedon Highland League at Bellslea.
The champions were two to the good at half-time courtesy of strikes from Connor Wood and Scott Barbour.
But Max Ewan pulled a goal back for the Cattachs early in the second period and when Sean Butcher was sent off the Broch were left with 10 men for the last half hour and the visitors equalised through Andrew Macrae.
The result moves Brora up to second in the table, while Fraserburgh drop to sixth.
The hosts were without the suspended Bryan Hay, Jamie Beagrie and Lewis Davidson due to work commitments and Ryan Cowie, who is injured.
That meant Ryan Sargent filled in at left-back with the adaptable Willie West moving to centre-back.
Brora travelled without first choice goalkeeper Joe Malin, who ruptured his Achilles last week, while defenders Josh Meekings and Colin Williamson were also out.
Early action
The first effort at goal was Kieran Simpson’s free-kick from 20 yards which sailed over, at the other a slip from West almost gave Andrew Macrae a chance, but goalkeeper Joe Barbour was out quickly to gather.
In the 13th minute Cattachs goalkeeper Ruardhri Nicol made a good save at his near post after Scott Barbour shot from the right side of the area.
Two minutes later Joe Barbour held a Mark Nicolson header from Dale Gillespie’s corner.
The game was flowing from end-to-end and Nicol saved Aidan Combe’s half-volley from 12 yards head flicks from Butcher and Scott Barbour.
On 19 minutes Fraserburgh made the breakthrough in spectacular fashion. Wood played a one-two with Butcher and after outmuscling Tom Kelly at the left angle of the box Wood curled a shot into the top right corner of the net.
But Brora responded well to falling behind with Ewan shooting straight at Joe Barbour from the edge of the area, while at the other end Wood drilled another shot over from 20 yards.
The Cattachs were twice close equalising in the space of a few seconds in the 27th minute.
First Ewan got away from Sargent down the right and his low cutback was met by Tony Dingwall, whose shot deflected off Andrew Macrae and onto the right post before the Broch cleared for a corner.
From Gillespie’s delivery Jordan MacRae’s bullet header was volleyed off the line by Greg Buchan.
Shortly after the half hour mark Dingwall fired over from just inside the area after the home defence were caught out.
In the 45th minute West’s sliced clearance gave Jordan MacRae a chance but the Brora striker slipped at the vital moment and the ball trickled back to Joe Barbour.
But in the second minute of first half stoppage time Fraserburgh doubled their lead.
Scott Barbour was pulled down by Millar Gamble 25 yards out and Barbour curled the dead ball in off the crossbar with his left foot.
Cattachs look for comeback
On 55 minutes Brora reduced the deficit with an excellent team goal.
Andrew Macrae laid the ball off to Martin Maclean on the edge of the area, who in turn found Tom Kelly on the right and the full-back’s low cross was finished by Ewan at the back post.
The visitors were buoyed by that goal and soon after Simpson was forced to slice a Maclean delivery over his own crossbar.
Things got tougher for Fraserburgh in the 62nd minute when Butcher was sent off.
The forward had earlier been booked for persistent fouling and caught Gamble in a challenge, with referee Duncan Nicolson producing a second yellow card.
Moments later Kelly shot narrowly wide from 20 yards and in the 70th minute the same player was denied by Joe Barbour after letting fly from the right side of the area.
Fraserburgh were trying to hang on but their resistance was broken in the 80th minute.
Sub Gregor MacDonald’s cross ran through to Kelly on the right flank and his ball back into the danger zone was headed home by Andrew Macrae, who beat Joe Barbour to the ball.
It looked the Cattachs had the impetus to go and win it after that and they came close in the last minute of normal time when Andrew Macrae wriggled free inside the area, but Joe Barbour blocked his shot from 14 yards.
Two minutes into injury time Broch sub Paul Campbell could have won it when he raced in behind onto Paul Young’s pass, but the striker’s left-footed shot flew over.
