Elgin City were just one minute away from reaching the last eight of the Scottish Cup for the first time since 1968 when the dream was ripped away by Ayr United.
The visitors were in front from 40 minutes following a goal from their talisman Kane Hester.
However, an equaliser in the 90th minute by Ayr substitute Fraser Bryden and then three goals in extra-time by United – a Ben Dempsey penalty and then two from Dipo Akinyemi – saw Gavin Price and his League Two side’s hearts broken, succumbing to an eventual 4-1 defeat after a heroic display against strong Championship opposition.
Price said: “We had one foot in the next round, but couldn’t quite see it through – but I am incredibly proud of how we played and how the players worked for each other.
“Hopefully rather deflating us, it will give us a boost for the rest of the season and showed us what we are capable of, not just defensively, but as an attacking threat which we posed.
“We were brave on the ball and over the first 90 minutes probably deserved to win the game.
“There was not one failure and the goal at the end was absolutely sickening.
“What an opportunity it was – we had the best chances first and second half, and paid the penalty. You need to take one or two of those chances to get through a cup tie.
“We didn’t have a big bench because of players being cup-tied and it cost us going into extra-time – we didn’t have the resources.
“The penalty looked harsh and it knocked the stuffing out of part-time players going into extra-time.”
Hester’s 26th of the campaign puts Elgin in front
Elgin stunned the Championship title challengers five minutes from the interval when striker Hester found himself in acres of space 12 yards out and dispatched the ball beyond goalkeeper Aidan McAdams to net his 26th goal of the campaign.
But United forced the game into extra-time when Bryden flicked the ball in at the near post after a low ball in from the left by substitute Daire O’Connor.
Seconds later, Ayr were denied a dramatic winner in normal time when Akinyemi’s shot crashed back off the inside of the far post.
With extra-time required at Somerset Park, the tie hinged on the penalty decision by referee John Beaton, four minutes into the additional 30 minutes, with Saturday’s clash one of only two matches in the last 16 not to have VAR in operation.
Beaton adjudged Ross Draper to have hauled down Akinyemi. He pointed to the spot and then flashed a yellow card at the former Ross County and Inverness defender, despite no protests from the United players.
Dempsey made no mistake with his spot-kick.
Ayr were then able to seal their place in the last eight when Akinyemi added a third on 102 minutes and a fourth 30 seconds into the second period of extra-time – completing a scoreline which was not a fair reflection on the efforts of part-timers Elgin.
Ayr head coach Lee Bullen said: “I am a very relieved coach.
“That goal must have been like a dagger to Elgin.
“I have to be brutally honest – I didn’t see the goal coming.”
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