A late, late penalty denied West Ham United Under-18s an FA Premier Academy League victory over Bristol City on Friday.
Substitute Ryan Brunt's 95th-minute spot-kick secured a 1-1 draw for the Robins after England U16 winger Matthias Fanimo had slotted the Hammers into a second-half lead.
The penalty left the home side shattered, as Bristol City had, up to then, created precious little in the way of goalscoring opportunities at a cold and blustery Little Heath.
However, the Hammers lost possession deep inside the visitors' half, allowing City to break, and the referee pointed to the spot when Henry Muggeridge went down under Filip Modelski's challenge. Brunt stepped up and sent Sam Cowler the wrong way from 12 yards.
Deputy Academy Director Paul Hilton, deputising while Tony Carr leads a combined U16/U17 squad at the Tiffany Cup in Washington DC, lamented the nature of the away side's late equaliser.
"I suppose it was two points dropped, in the bigger picture, especially with conceding the late goal when we had the ball deep in the attacking corner. We just made a bad decision in trying to create another chance.
"They'll have to learn from it, as that's the harsh reality of football. They worked very, very hard but didn't make the right choices at the end and ended up conceding a goal.
"On overall reflection, I told the players they probably deserved a draw, even though I thought we played a lot better in the second half. We couldn't really get our passing going in the first half.
"They looked a bit of a threat on the break through their striker Giani Kapika and the wide-right player Joe Lennox, but I'm a little disappointed we didn't win the game."
With the first-year scholars en route to the United States, West Ham called upon first-year professionals Olly Lee and Danny Kearns, while schoolboys Fanimo and Blair Turgott were also handed starting places.
Fanimo had already seen one effort well saved by goalkeeper Lewis Carey - who also denied Danny Subuola with a smart save - when he ran on to Subuola's through ball before holding off his marker and stabbing the ball inside the far post after 72 minutes.
At the other end, Cowler was largely redundant, but was in the right place to repel efforts from the lively Lennox and Brunt, only to be beaten by the substitute's added-time penalty.
A point lifted West Ham - now unbeaten in five matches - above Fulham into fifth place in the Group A standings ahead of next Saturday's trip to MK Dons.
West Ham United U18s: Cowler, Modelski, Craig, McNaughton, Driver, Kearns (Abdulla 46), Turgott, Wearen, Lee (Montano 60), Fanimo, Subuola
Unused subs: Mehmet, Brown, Sanchez