Huntly came agonisingly close to shocking Forfar Athletic in the Scottish Cup second round but lost out 4-1 after extra-time.
Michael Dangana’s opener had the Breedon Highland League side on the cusp of defeating their League Two opponents.
But a last-gasp equaliser, which was eventually credited to Matty Allan, forced extra-time and during the additional period the Loons proved too strong with strikes from Mark Whatley, Cameron Ferguson and Ryan Paterson sending them through to round three.
For the Black and Golds it was a cruel conclusion having matched their opponents for long periods, their wait for a first third round appearance since 2015 goes on.
Black and Golds breakthrough
In soft underfoot conditions, as a result of the heavy rain in recent days, the home side had the first effort at goal with Ross Still’s header from a Lyall Booth corner looping wide.
At the other end Callum Moore curled harmlessly wide from 25 yards as the Loons looked for a foothold.
Just after the quarter hour mark Christie Park was sent into raptures as Huntly broke the deadlock.
Michael Clark picked out Robbie Foster on the right and although he was tackled the ball broke for Lewis Crosbie who teed up Dangana to curl an excellent right foot shot into the right corner from 20 yards.
The Black and Golds looked the more threatening in the final third with Foster and Dangana particularly lively. For Forfar Josh Skelly looked dangerous, but in the main he was being well marshalled by Clark and Still.
As half-time approached Moore was wayward with another long range strike, while at the other end Andy Hunter spun into space but couldn’t pick out Crosbie who was well-placed.
In the 42nd minute a mix-up between Andy Munro and Stuart Morrison gave Foster a chance in behind, but slight hesitation allowed Matty Allan to get across and make a challenge.
Loons look for response
The visitors created a decent opening in the early stages of the second period when Whatley laid the ball off for Moore but he slashed a shot wide from 16 yards.
In the 49th minute Skelly wriggled into a little bit of space on the edge of the box and let fly with goalkeeper Fraser Hobday getting down well to his right to parry.
Seconds later Forfar should have equalised when Munro’s pass released Euan Mutale through on goal but he fired well wide.
Huntly were having to weather the storm, but in the 62nd minute they threatened again with Dangana’s fizzing drive from 25 yards held by Loons goalkeeper Mark McCallum.
Midway through the second period Forfar sub Paterson did well to unleash a volley from 20 yards, but it was right down Hobday’s throat.
Inside the final 20 minutes Booth tried to add to Huntly’s lead when his corner broke back to him, but McCallum saved the shot.
As time ticked down Forfar were committing more bodies forward in the search for a leveller and Munro saw a header scrambled to safety.
On 82 minutes Paterson tricked his way beyond Booth and Still into the box but his net-bound shot was tipped over by Hobday at full stretch and from the resultant corner Whatley glanced a header beyond the far post.
Conditions were becoming increasingly difficult and on 87 minutes Hobday had to spoon a Finn Robson shot away after it skidded off the surface.
Just when it looked like Huntly would see it out they conceded in the fourth minute of injury when Paterson’s corner was forced over the line inside a crowded six-yard box with Allan the scorer.
Extra time
Then little more than a minute into the additional period Forfar took the lead when Whatley thumped a shot into the right corner from 20 yards with Hobday motionless.
Almost immediately Still headed a Booth corner wide at the front post as the Black and Golds looked for an equaliser.
But in the fifth minute of extra-time the visitors made it 3-1 when a corner from Paterson wasn’t cleared and sub Ferguson headed home from four yards.
The outcome of the tie was put beyond doubt in the 102nd minute when sub Seb Ross broke through and after his shot was cleared off the line by Still Paterson hammered home the rebound.
With lots of weary bodies on the pitch the game was pretty open Callum Murray and Brodie Allen both had efforts blocked for Huntly after Angus Grant crossed from the left.
