Comrades produced a gritty display to come away with a point from a tough trip to in-form Loughgall, but they will be bitterly disappointed that a last gasp equaliser for the hosts denied them all three points.

With Chris Ramsey and Adam McCart still in temporary charge until a new manager is appointed they will have been looking for a reaction after a thrashing at Ards three days earlier and they certainly got it, with a noticeable uplift in the organisation and work rate of the team right from the start of the game.

Although the hosts began with most of the possession and were to continue in this vein for the rest of the match, Comrades worked hard to deny them space and chances. In fact the first real opening of the game fell to the visitors in the 8^th minute, when a great long ball played forward by Eoghan Devine found Liam Hassin running past the Loughgall defence, but his touch eluded him as he looked set to run in on goal and the ‘keeper was able to gather at the edge of the box.

Despite their dominance of the ball, the hosts were finding it difficult to penetrate Comrades’ defensive unit, with good protection provided by the midfield often cutting out any threat before it developed.

At the other end Comrades posed a danger when they were able to get forward and on the half hour they got their reward. A long thrown in up the line from Matthew Stephenson saw the ball headed in-field by Kyle Beggs and it then broke off a defenders’ leg right into the path of Liam Hassin who, from 16 yard out, slotted the ball through the legs of the outrushing ‘keeper to give his side the lead.

A minute later Hassin was again in the thick of the action when Michael Smith did well to pull the ball back to him from the by-line and his resulting first-time effort from the edge of the box was very well struck, but fizzed narrowly over the bar.

Loughgall continued to find it hard to break Comrades down and there was nothing much of note to test ‘keeper Richard Purcell in the rest of the first half.

Comrades had a chance to double their lead shortly before the half-time whistle, when in the 44^th minute a good move ended with Kyle Beggs, who had switched temporarily to the left, cutting into the box and shooting from 15 yards, but his effort lacked the power to trouble ‘keeper Türker.

The second half saw Comrades largely under the cosh from persistent Loughgall pressure.  On 51 minutes neat interplay set Ferris free to run into the right side of the box before flashing a shot inches wide of the far post from 8 yards.

As in the first half however, the visitors were working hard to keep the hosts out and were successful in limiting chances created. The first time Richard Purcell was called into action to make a notable save was not until the 68^th minute when after a scramble in the box he did well to block an effort stabbed towards goal from 9 yards by Ferris.

A noticeable difference from the first half was that Comrades were unable to get forward themselves as Loughgall constantly pressed them back. Therefore there was little respite for the visitors’ defence.

However, the home side hadn’t created that much despite their possession and had largely been reduced to long range efforts which went high and wide of the target. It looked as if Comrades would hold on for a precious victory, but this was to be taken away from them five minutes into stoppage time. A free-kick was conceded in a dangerous position and from it the ball was whipped into the box. This time the Comrades defence couldn’t clear and the ball dropped kindly to the feet of Kerr, who slammed it into the net from inside the 6-yard box.