Mal Smith converted a 94th minute penalty to ensure Glentoran II took home a share of the spoils in their NIFL Development League game against Carrick Rangers Reserves at Ashfield.
Carrick had led 2-0 with 20 minutes remaining courtesy of goals from Joshua Andrews and Aodhan Gillen, but Glentoran pulled one back through Ally Roy before Smith smashed home his spot kick late in the game after Aaron Wightman was clipped in the box.
The home side were able to count upon the aforementioned three first-teamers as well as goalkeeper Ollie Webber, a summer arrival from Portsmouth.
Read more: Josh Carson relishing mouth-watering clash league's other in-form side
They dominated the early stages of the game, with Johnny Russell heading wide from Wightman's whipped free kick and Roy also failing to hit the target with his own glancing header.
Carrick relied heavily on the counter attack, with Gillen forcing a save from Webber before Roy called keeper Callum Irvine into action as he thwarted the striker's near post effort.
The away team broke the deadlock on 37 minutes with Andrews smashing home from the penalty spot after Charlie Chapman had been brought down in the area by Lukas Miskimmin when running clean through on goal.
Former Newington winger Gillen then doubled their advantage just four minutes after the restart as he fired home from the left edge of the area.
Glentoran struggled to break down a stubborn Carrick rearguard until the 70th minute, when Roy swept home into the far corner from a pull back from left back Russell.
They continued to pile forward in search of a late leveler and were duly rewarded when Bailey Hoy clumsily challenged Wightman in the area in the last attack of the game.
The referee pointed to the spot and Hoy received a yellow card for the challenge before swiftly being shown a second yellow for his protestations as Carrick finished the game with ten men.
Smith stepped up and coolly converted, sending Irvine the wrong way to salvage a point for the Glens, who are now winless in their last five games, falling to sixth in the table.
Elsewhere, Crusaders Reserves remain on course to reclaim their league title as they moved 15 points clear of nearest challengers Linfield Swifts with an emphatic 8-2 comeback win over Glenavon Reserves at Seaview.
It was the visitors who opened the scoring on 17 minutes and they would add a second just three minutes later.
Jay Boyd reduced the deficit in the 26th minute before Johnny McMurray equalised just after the half hour mark.
Boyd then put Crusaders ahead for the first time in the game on 53 minutes, and completed his hat-trick ten minutes later to further stretch their advantage.
Brandon Bradshaw bagged David Rainey's side fifth of the game on 77 minutes with further strikes from Fintan McDaid, Woha McGerald and Caleb Crawford late in the game completing the route.
Dungannon Swifts Reserves moved up to third in the table with a surprise 3-1 win over Linfield Swifts. After a slow first half the game sprang into life on 54 minutes with Scott Steven putting Dungannon in front.
Lewis Francis scored Dungannon's second on 73 minutes, before Andrew Clarke pulled one back for the Blues ten minutes later.
Ryan Donnelly netted in the last minute to seal the win and three points for Dungannon, who have now won three games in a row, whilst Linfield lost further ground on Crusaders in the title race.
Larne Olympic's recent resurgence continued as they cruised to a 2-0 victory over Ballymena Reserves at Inver Park.
Max Hutchinson gave Larne an early lead with just five minutes on the clock, with Nicholas Aretiz adding a second on 58 minutes as the Inver side made it four games unbeaten to move within two points of Portadown Reserves above them.
The result also ended Ballymena's good run of form which saw them win four league games in a row.
On Thursday evening Portadown Reserves inflicted a heavy 7-0 defeat upon a young Cliftonville Olympic side at Shamrock Park.
Leon Donnellan and Johnny McCullough both scored hat-tricks with the former opening the scoring on 34 minutes and the latter netting a quick fire second four minutes later.
The floodgates really began to open in the second period, with McCullough firing home his second and Portadown's third from the penalty spot on 66 minutes.
He completed his hat-trick with another spot kick ten minutes later before the Ports scored three goals in the last three minutes of the game to get them back to winning ways after four games without a win.
James McMullen was on target before Donnellan also completed his treble with two late strikes as Cliftonville fell to a third straight league loss.
On Friday night Coleraine Reserves romped to a 5-0 win over bottom side Newry City Reserves to halt their three game losing streak.
Luca Doherty put the Bannsiders ahead on 17 minutes before experienced striker James McLaughlin got their second from the penalty spot on 25 minutes.
Zac Dealey bagged their third in the 52nd minute with Senan Devine and Reece Watton scoring late in the game as Newry were condemned to their fourteenth defeat of the league season.
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