Grant Hanley struck an 88th-minute equaliser as Blackburn Rovers and Cardiff City played out an entertaining one-all draw at Ewood Park.
Former Bolton Wanderers loanee Joe Mason looked to have earned all three points for the Bluebirds after he put the ball past David Raya with five minutes on the clock, while both sides had goals chalked out for offside.
Yet, despite an excrutiating five minutes of stoppage time in which either side could have snatched a win, neither could find the suckerpunch they needed with both sides eventually forced to settle for a hard-fought point.
Mason nets early to give the visitors the lead
Some fans were still looking for their seats when Mason's opening goal came, a simple finish from a fairly simple pass. Defender Lee Peltier pounced on a wayward pass and played a through ball for Mason to run onto, where he was able to flick the ball around the onrushing Raya in the Rovers goal.
The hosts looked to respond five minutes later through Nathan Delfouneso, but his header from Craig Conway's well-taken free kick was snapped away from goal by the alert David Marshall.
Conway himself and Shane Duffy attempted to force the issue with hopeful shots from long range, but neither was able to find the net as Conway saw his effort easily saved and Duffy's drifted well wide.
Cardiff go close after Blackburn pressure
With Rovers beginning to threaten more and more as the clock ticked towards the half-hour mark, Cardiff went close to doubling their advantage as Anthony Pilkington had a powerful shot deflected just wide of the post, as the Bluebirds assumed authority over the ball and over the game in the second half of the first 45.
Joe Ralls had an effort saved before Kagisho Dikgacoi blazed over from 25 yards, but it was the hosts who looked to have equalised on the stroke of half-time. Summer signing Bangaly-Fode Koita won a free kick from Matt Connolly and it was Koita himself who glanced a header home from Tommy Spurr's delivery, but he was pulled back for offside as he began to celebrate. Duffy should have scored soon later, but he smashed the ball over the bar from point-blank range.
Wayward finishing from Rovers
Rovers seemed to be increasingly becoming architects of their own misfortune, with Delfouneso striking the crossbar from the edge of the area and Hanley nodding over the bar with a free header from little more than two yards in the opening exchanges of the second half.
The second 45 minutes did not bring as much in the way of chances as did the first, though Mason was denied a second goal just six minutes from time as he was flagged offside after slotting home from Pilkington's pass forwards.
Hanley knocks in a late equaliser
However, with just two minutes to play the game swung for the second time as the hosts clawed themselves back into the match. As the home fans screamed for a penalty with Modou Barrow going to ground, the ball eventually found its way back into the area from the boot of Conway, with Hanley on hand at the back post to turn the ball in.
Either side could have won the game in the five minutes of stoppage time which followed, as recent hero Craig Noone saw a free kick bend fractionally over the crossbar and Duffy having a header hacked off the goalline at the other end. With neither opportunity taken, both managers were forced to settle for a draw.
With a number of matches still to be played on Wednesday, the result leaves both sides very much as they were before kick-off. Cardiff remain unbeaten but without a win after three successive draws with Fulham and QPR, while Blackburn sit a point worse off after their opening-day defeat to Wolves.