BURTON Albion's automatic promotion hopes took a painful dent on Saturday as AFC Wimbledon struck in the EIGHTH minute of stoppage time to deny the Brewers a win.
Referee Dean Whitestone's five minutes of added time at the Pirelli Stadium were long gone when Darren Jones pounced to break Albion hearts and infuriate boss Gary Rowett.
Burton had led through Billy Kee's first half penalty and had defended bravely against a physical Dons side before the dam finally broke.
It was rough luck on the Brewers, who probably should have had the game safe when Matty Palmer missed an excellent chance not long after coming on in the second half.
And with League Two's top three all winning - Rochdale late on - the draw was a blow for Gary Rowett's men in their bid to finish in the automatic promotion spots.
It left them three points adrift of Rochdale in third place ahead of next week's difficult trip to face second-placed Scunthorpe.
The manner of the equaliser was hard to swallow and Rowett and his team were fuming with Mr Whitestone.
Albion also suffered the disappointment of Zeli Ismail, their brightest attacking player in recent weeks, limping off with what looked a nasty hamstring injury early in the second half.
He could face several weeks out just as spring brings the kind of pitches he would relish playing on.
There was also an element of the Brewers being bullied on Saturday and, while Marcus Holness deputised well, the height and leadership of Ian Sharps were missed at the back.
He should return at Scunthorpe for what will be a pivotal match - much like all the remaining nine games.
Rowett named an unchanged side from the 0-0 draw at Portsmouth, with Lee Bell continuing in midfield in place of Palmer.
Michael Symes dropped off the bench after injuring his groin and Chris Hussey had departed for Bury, so there were places among the substitutes for young centre-half Liam Slade and midfielder Jack Dyer.
The ball spent a lot of time in the air in the early stages before the Brewers got a grip on the game against their defensive visitors, who had lined up in a 4-5-1 formation.
Ismail scorched past the niggly Sammy Moore and Barry Fuller on 10 minutes before his cross beat everyone in the area.
Wimbledon then broke on 14 minutes and the dangerous George Francomb swung a cross in which Holness cleared athletically in a crowded six-yard box.
Three minutes later an excellent through ball from Bell released Ismail down the centre. He was held up but the ball fell to Kee, whose cross was blocked.
Albion had the lead on 21 minutes, largely thanks to the endeavours of Dominic Knowles.
The striker has been bright in recent matches and got hold of the ball out wide before running at Fuller and beating him. As the 22-year-old charged across the edge of the area he was tripped by Dons skipper Alan Bennett.
Mr Whitestone immediately pointed at the spot and Kee blasted the penalty straight down the middle.
Burton were on their way and Kee went close with an outrageous overhead kick soon afterwards.
Just past the half-hour Albion almost extended the lead when Kee found Jimmy Phillips in space on the left of the area. He cut past Jones but his powerful low left-footed shot was saved by Ross Worner in the Dons goal.
Half-time came and went and whatever Wimbledon manager Neal Ardley said to his players worked a treat.
He put Charlie Wyke on up front, changed to a 4-4-2 formation and threw the kitchen sink at the Brewers.
A minute after the break, substitute Tom Richards - who came on for a limping Fuller in the first half, another left-back seen off by Ismail - found fellow replacement Wyke in space with a cross.
The striker should have hit the target but headed over under pressure from Shane Cansdell-Sherriff.
The Dons enjoyed a series of free kicks taken by Francomb and from one of them Andy Frampton could have found the target.
On 53 minutes, Holness almost gifted the Dons a goal when he let the ball slip under his foot on halfway. As a result, Moore's ball ran through to Wyke, but Cansdell-Sherriff and Holness got back to deny the big striker a chance.
Rowett responded to the pressure by throwing Palmer on for Knowles and moving to a 4-5-1 formation, with Bell sitting deep to protect the back four.
Three minutes later, Albion broke and had a three-on-two break, but with Ismail charging through dangerously he pulled up in agony and his game was over.
On the hour, the dangerous Wyke had a free header from a Francomb corner but headed down into the ground from six yards and the ball bounced up and over Rob Lainton's goal.
Damien McCrory was left in a heap by Moore on 62 minutes after a physical challenge which left the defender needing treatment to his head.
Albion then had their best chance to make it 2-0.
Bell's shot was deflected off a Dons boot to Palmer in space eight yards out. He had time to find a finish but his low effort went disappointingly straight at Worner.
The Dons kept up the pressure, although Burton threatened periodically in the closing stages. Kee turned and fired a shot at goal on 74 minutes before McCrory almost found the top corner with a delicate free kick on 82 minutes.
Alex MacDonald also had a powerful low shot saved by Worner before Phillips beat three defenders but instead of shooting from 16 yards passed to a surprised Kee, who miskicked and the chance was lost.
As five minutes of stoppage time ticked by the Dons won a series of corners.
Five minutes into added time one of Francomb's deliveries was headed against a post by Wimbledon substitute Jack Midson.
And with seven minutes and two seconds played Lainton punched a Francomb corner clear but Jones managed to slot the ball into the net through a melee of players to break Albion hearts.
Again they had failed to build on a 1-0 lead and paid the price - but they did not deserve to lose two points in the manner they did, two minutes after the match should have ended.
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