Kieran Burton scored in stoppage time to secure a 1-1 draw for Buxton against ten-man Southport at Haig Avenue.
The away side started brightly, with Sisa Tuntulwana seeing a couple of efforts blocked inside the area.
Next, Max Woltman looked for the bottom-left corner, but his looping effort drifted narrowly wide.
Southport captain Danny Lloyd looked to create the first opening for the hosts as he broke down the left, only for Kieran Burton to block his cross. The resulting corner forced Harry Evans to punch clear, although the referee had already blown for a foul.
The hosts took the lead in the 18th minute when Malakai McKenzie picked up possession just outside the area before curling the ball into the top-left corner and beyond Evans to make it 1-0.
Lloyd then went close to doubling Southport’s advantage, sending a free-kick from around 30 yards high and over the crossbar.
Just before the break, McKenzie almost grabbed his second of the afternoon after a well-worked move into the area, but Evans was down quickly to save his effort.
At the start of the second half, Buxton made their first change, with Johnny Johnston replacing Josh Shaw.
Southport, though, created the first chance after the restart, with Lloyd’s effort appearing destined for the top corner before Evans produced a superb outstretched save.
Meanwhile, at the other end, Woltman’s corner found substitute Johnston at the back post, but the forward could not keep his header down.
Tuntulwana was next to test the Southport defence, but Solomon Honor was equal to his effort.
Crucially, the hosts were reduced to ten men in the 62nd minute when captain Lloyd was shown a straight red card for a late challenge on Kian Scales.
From there, the visitors began to dominate the chances, with several efforts blocked inside the area before Buxton won a corner.
Soon after, Buxton came agonisingly close to an equaliser when a cross found Owen Devonport, whose header struck the crossbar before being cleared to safety.
Devonport then turned provider, combining with Johnston in a neat one-two after holding the ball up well, but Johnston’s resulting shot was saved behind.
Eventually, all the pressure paid off in stoppage time as Tuntulwana’s long throw found Devonport, who held off his man before laying the ball into the path of Burton, who fired home to make it 1-1.
Finally, Buxton almost completed the comeback, but Tuntulwana’s late effort was kept out by another quick save from Honor.
