It was a roller-coaster in Portstewart, where a last minute strike by Darren McKay secured a 4-4 draw that could have ended ten-man Comrades' hopes of glory, but they were handed a lifeline when rivals Bangor and Dundela cancelled each other out on the same evening with a 1-1 share of the spoils.
So the position is now clear; Jamesie Kirk's lads must get something from their final match of the season on Saturday afternoon in Loughgall for a rostrum finish.
A draw will edge out Bangor, while a win against the champions would clinch the runners-up spot, at the expense of Dundela.
It was a vastly understrength side that lined out against Portstewart, with regulars Ian Mannus, Evan Forsythe, Paul Caldwell, Ryan Murray, Allen Reid and Kieran Loughran all missing. The defence in particular was decimated, and this was reflected in the four goals conceded in one game, after having conceded only twelve in the previous twenty!
Teenager Paddy Flood donned the gloves, with Joe McRoberts and Gary Bell forming the central defensive partnership, with Michael Smith and David Freyne occupying the full back berths.
Ian McGrath partnered skipper Stuart McClean in the heart of the engine room, with Mark Patterson and Adam Dick on the flanks, while Eddie Hill and Kyle Agnew were up front.
The travelling fans were cheering after five minutes, when Adam Dick flicked on a David Freyne corner for Eddie Hill to nod past the keeper, but then during the next half hour the home side surged in to a 3-1 lead.
The equaliser was the result of indecision between Gary Bell and Paddy Flood. There was controversy when Portstewart took the lead from a free, and another defensive error presented the home side with a sloppy third goal.
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However Ballyclare hopes were given a boost just before the interval, when Ian McGrath volleyed in one of his long range specials, to reduce the deficit to a single goal.
Ten minutes in to the second session the Reds were back on level terms. Another McGrath piledriver was parried by the keeper, but the ball fell to Adam Dick, who set it up for Eddie Hill to double his tally from close range.
Almost immediately Comrades were reduced to ten men when McGrath picked up his second yellow card, but this reverse brought out the best in the rest, and Comrades continued to have the edge.
Fifteen minutes from time the combined efforts of Michael Smith and Paddy Flood brought down a home striker, and the referee immediately awarded a penalty, from which Portstewart regained the lead.
Substitutes Darren McKay and Conor Mulholland replaced Patterson and Dick, and it was McKay who salvaged that crucial point as added time beckoned, when he curled a free beautifully in to the top corner of the net.
Commenting Jamesie Kirk said, "Our cast iron defensive record took quite a battering, but our season is still alive. Following a frustrating first half, we settled after the interval, and even after losing Ian McGrath we could have won the game. It was a disappointing result, but except for Paul Caldwell, we should be at full strength for the trip to Loughgall on Saturday, when we must get at least a point to finish in the top three," concluded Jamesie.
Ballyclare Comrades: Flood; Smith, Bell, McRoberts, Freyne; Patterson, McGrath, McClean (C), Dick; Hill, Agnew. Subs: Mulholland, McKay, Simms, McGowan.