BRIGHTLINGSEA Regent suffered last-gasp heartache after losing 2-1 at title-chasing Haringey Borough tonight.
The sides met in a Bostik League premier division contest at Coles Park.
Regent, starting the night tenth in the table and only three points outside the play-offs, made a dream start after grabbing an eight-minute lead through Billy Hunt.
The club's top-scorer fired home with an unstoppable 25-yarder.
It was an advantage they protected until the 71st minute, when Ralston Gabriel equalised.
Haringey then pushed for a winner and eventually netted again in stoppage time, through Reneil Sappleton.
It was the cruellest of blows for Regent, who, just seconds before, had struck the woodwork through substitute Billy Jones.
They remain tenth and three points behind fifth-placed Tonbridge Angels.
The Kent side have two games in hand, though, while the quartet directly above - Enfield Town, Worthing, Bognor Regis Town and Folkestone Invicta - have all played 28 matches, compared to Brightlingsea's 29.
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