Tam Jamieson’s men found themselves trailing by two goals with not much more than half an hour to play against Lowland League side Civil Service Strollers at Parklea.
But a stirring comeback by the Undertakers saw them level the tie at 2-2 inside the final 10 minutes and had the local side dreaming of what would have been a huge upset.
As the clock ticked towards added time the Port were just minutes away from taking the tie to penalties, or perhaps even snatching a late, late victory – but their dreams of glory were dashed when the Strollers netted not one but two last-gasp goals to complete a 4-2 win and secure their place in the third tound of the competition.
In the end, Jamieson’s side saw missed opportunities come back to haunt them as the Edinburgh side finally put their hosts to the sword in the closing stages of an enthralling cup tie.
The first 15 minutes of the game were fairly even, despite the four-division gap between the two teams, but the Strollers showed their class to take the lead on 18 minutes, Tom Findlay knocking the ball home at the back post after a long ball was played across the hosts’ penalty area.
Dylan McLaughlin played his part to level things up for the hosts(Image: alex craig)
Only the outstretched hand of the Strollers’ keeper stopped Dylan McLaughlin levelling two minutes later from just outside the box, before the Strollers passed up a golden opportunity to draw level when former Edinburgh City man Alieu Faye saw his penalty kick strike the woodwork and go out for a goal kick.
Callum Yeats doubled the Edinburgh side’s advantage after the interval as the visitors looked to turn the screw, taking advantage after the Port’s defenders were unable to properly clear a dangerous ball into the penalty area.
But the Port refused to throw in the towel, and just five minutes after conceding that second goal the Undertakers’ fightback began, McLaughlin rifling the ball home to cap a brilliant move that began with keeper Robbie McKellar picking out Jayden McGivern, and had Jack Purdue at its heart.
The ex-Edinburgh City marksman couldn’t make his mark from the penalty spot(Image: alex craig)
That set up a grandstand finish to the tie – and with the scent of a surprise in their nostrils, the Port’s pressure paid off with eight minutes left.
Shaun Rodgers drifted into the box from the right and coaxed a Strollers defender to stick out his leg, leaving whistler Lewis Webster with no choice but to point to the spot – and leaving Aidan Duffy with the task of holding his nerve from 12 yards out, which he did in style to level the tie at 2-2.
Tam Jamieson thought his side were about to do the unthinkable(Image: alex craig)
With no extra time in the Challenge Cup, the Port opted to push for a winner rather than taking their chances in a shoot-out – but sadly their positivity left them empty-handed when Jay Mill guided the ball past McKellar in the 90th minute to break the home side’s hearts.
And as if that wasn’t enough, there was still time for Faye to rub salt into the Port’s wounds deep into added time, when he made up for his earlier miss by stroking home the Strollers’ fourth and sealing their progression – after some serious scrutiny from the Parklea side.
Jamieson and his players now have to wait for an extra week to get their heroic defeat out of their system; the Port have no game this weekend, with their next match being a Third Division clash away to Kello Rovers on September 27.