A stoppage-time penalty left Holbeach United’s play-off hopes hanging by a thread at Leiston u23s on Saturday.
The hosts fired home a penalty in the sixth minute of stoppage time to grab a 2-2 draw, leaving the Tigers 12 points adrift of the final play-off spot but with only five games left to play.
Diss Town currently hold the cherished fifth spot and they visit Carter’s Park this Saturday. Holbeach can reach 67 points if they win all their games but Diss already have 64, with four more to play after Saturday, leaving a bare glimmer of hope.
Leiston took a sixth-minute lead but, although Holbeach dominated after that, they had to wait until the 54th minute to pull level when Harvey Thorne hammered the ball across the face of goal and into the net off a home defender.
Captain Sam Carter then put the Tigers ahead from close range in the 64th minute, only for the Suffolk side to level at the death.
The referee signalled for a free-kick but his assistant’s intervention saw it changed to a spot kick to leave the visitors doubly frustrated, with the final whistle going as soon as the shot went into the goal.
Tigers: Simpson, Kacirek, Bassendine-Matthews, Oldham, Ling, Carter, Gadzia, Ibeneme, Compton, Thorne, Cook. Subs: Keeble, Wright, Stainfield, Roberts.
Attendance: 43.