Oscar Estupinan's 91st-minute penalty salvaged a point for a lacklustre Hull City as they drew with Bristol City.
Max O'Leary and Ivor Pandur's saves ensured a goalless first half as both sides' new strike forces looked as though they still needed time to work together.
Anis Mehmeti's deflected shot hit the top of the Hull crossbar early in the second half as the Tigers struggled to successfully play out from the back.
Hull's warnings from Bristol City's press went unheeded and were eventually punished when substitute Fally Mayulu superbly controlled a sliced clearance and found the bottom corner with a half-volley from 15 yards out.
But with time running out new Hull boss Tim Walter saw his side salvage a point as Joe Williams fouled Marvin Mehlem and Estupinan calmly found the bottom corner from 12 yards.
Hull, with former Hamburg coach Walter taking charge for the first time since Liam Rosenior's sacking, started well as visiting goalkeeper O'Leary was forced into three good saves in the opening 13 minutes.
Regan Slater's second-minute shot was palmed away following a poor back pass and clearance, while O'Leary got down low to save Matty Jacob's strike from eight yards before instinctively blocking Estupinan's close-range effort from a pinpoint Ryan Giles cross less than a minute later.
Hull's insistence on playing out from the back saw them lose possession a number of times in the first half, and they were almost made to pay when Sean McLoughlin's 40th minute mistake lead to Mehmeti intercepting on the edge of the box, but debutant goalkeeper Pandur did well to smother his effort.
It was another poor exit from the back that almost put Bristol City ahead six minutes after the restart as the ball was fed to Sykes on the right whose deflected low cross fell to Mehmeti and the Albanian's shot was blocked into the crossbar by Jacob.
Walter introduced Liam Millar and Will Jarvis and the pair almost set up goals for the hosts - Millar's 70th-minute cross just evading Estupinan while Jarvis and Abdulkadir Omur linked up well down the right two minutes later to tee up Mehlem who blazed over from the edge of the box.
Visiting substitute Sam Bell fired over from an angle after a wonderful through ball by Cameron Pring with 10 minutes left, but just as it looked as though the game would end goalless both sides found the net.
Hull were again caught trying to play out at the back allowing Mayulu to score on his debut with six minutes to go.
But a challenge on Mehlem by Williams as the pair went for a loose ball in the box saw referee Keith Stroud point to the spot and Hull's Colombian striker fired into the bottom corner.
Hull City head coach Tim Walter told BBC Radio Humberside:
"It was a game with ups and downs, we stepped in very good, created a lot of chances.
"We changed it a bit at half-time so we had more possession, but if you play like I want them to play you need more courage and that's what we didn't have, especially in the first half.
"At the end it was lucky for us that we scored with the penalty, but I think it's OK for a draw because the team showed big character and that's what we want to bring to the fans as well - that we can give everything and never give up and that's what they showed today."
Bristol City head coach Liam Manning told BBC Radio Bristol:
"I'm hugely frustrated and disappointed - more for the players I think in terms of so many positives from the game with the way we pressed, the way we regained it, some of the stuff with the ball.
"Ultimately we needed to put the game to bed with the opportunities and the areas you get into, but it's just the manner of it.
"The closer you get to the final whistle the more tense you become, and I'm obviously disappointed to concede like that.
"I'm a little bit annoyed, but we've also got to understand we've got another 45 league games to go and I think what we saw today was that we can change the game with personnel."