last–ditch 
/ˈlæstˈdɪtʃ, Brit ˈlɑ:stˈdɪtʃ/ adjective
always used before a noun /ˈlæstˈdɪtʃ, Brit ˈlɑ:stˈdɪtʃ/ adjective : made as a final effort to keep something bad from happening
▪ The troops made a desperate last-ditch effort to keep the town from being captured. ▪ The negotiations were a last-ditch attempt to prevent a labor strike.
▪ The troops made a desperate last-ditch effort to keep the town from being captured. ▪ The negotiations were a last-ditch attempt to prevent a labor strike.
