Swindon Town came from behind to steal the advantage over Sheffield United in the first-leg of their League One play-off semi-final, after Nathan Byrne's long-range strike in the 94th minute sealed a 2-1 victory for the visitors at Bramall Lane.
United were on the front foot from the off and Kieron Freeman deservedly opened the scoring for Nigel Clough's men after 19 minutes - dispatching Ryan Flynn's cross.
Swindon had the chance to equalise only seven minutes later, when Nathan Byrne won a penalty - but Mark Howard turned away Ben Gladwin's effort from the spot.
United continued to cause havoc from wide positions, but could not build upon their lead in an enthralling end-to-end affair. Minutes into the second-half, Sam Ricketts lost his marker before guiding a delightful header past Mark Howard on 51 minutes to equalise.
And United, who have failed a record seven times in the play-offs on previous occasions, despite producing an energetic performance - were left made to rue missed chances when Byrne found the back of the net with a shot from outside-of-the-box in the final minutes.
Swindon now go into the second-leg at the County Ground next week with a slim advantage, knowing that away goals do not count in League One play-offs.
Both Sheffield United and the visitors had failed to win any of their final five games of the League One campaign, but they both came firing out of the blocks in the early minutes.
It was the home team who started the strongest of the two sides, as Jamie Murphy found himself in a dangerous position after just five minutes, but he could only watch his effort bobble wide after cutting inside from the right.
Swindon, who finished eight points above Nigel Clough's side in the final League One standings, were subdued by the Blades' excellent work ethic for large periods of the first-half. But Ben Gladwin demonstrated promising signs of their early attacking threat, showing good determination to shake off a sliding challenge before racing towards goal, but the finish was left wanting after he dragged his effort past the far post.
The Blades were well and truly the team on top in the first 45 minutes, and they could count themselves unlucky not to have been given a penalty kick in the 10th minute.
Murphy burst into the box from the left-flank and upon reaching the by-line, tried to flick the ball towards the near post. The stabbed cross struck the arm of Gladwin, but referee Darren Bond deemed the Swindon player's arm to be sufficiently enough by his side - though United could certainly feel aggrieved that they were not given the decision.
The debatable decision did not stunt United's growing momentum and a few minutes later, Murphy lifted his head up to spot Bob Harris' late run towards the edge of the box. The Scot rolled the ball into the left-back's path, but his rising drive failed to test Foderingham.
Harris continued to find space down the left and tried his luck again. His execution was off, but though he dragged his effort wide of the far post - it looked to have fallen fortuitously for Steven Davies, but he couldn't direct the shot towards goal from close-range.
Nevertheless, the hosts finally made their dominance in the final third pay after 19 minutes. Ryan Flynn managed to cut a cross back into Kieron Freeman inside the box, and the defender flashed in his second goal of the season after joining in January.
The visitors were far from stung after conceding, and could have reacted perfectly less than a minute later. Michael Smith made his way into the box down the inside-right channel, but Jermaine Hylton was not quick enough off the mark to meet his low cross which rolled agonisingly across Mark Howard's open goal.
Swindon continued to respond well after going a goal down, and they had an ideal opportunity to level the tie just eight minutes after conceding.
Nathan Byrne won a penalty after Harris' trailing leg tripped him inside the box, to which Gladwin stepped up but Blades' shot-stopper Howard was equal to his effort - diving to his right to keep the midfielder's penalty out. Gladwin threatened to reach the rebound, but Howard gratefully clutched the ball to his chest after Jay McEveley got back into the box to head back to his 'keeper.
The game's scintillating tempo refused to settle and it was Byrne, booed by the home supporters who thought he had dived for the penalty, who was the next man to find himself in a promising position in-front of goal.
Swindon countered brilliantly, as Hylton's pace saw him get the better of McEveley on his way into the 18-yard box. The defender recovered well, forcing the forward away from goal, but John Brayford's attempted clearance fell kindly for Byrne inside the box. Fortunately for the United captain, the 22-year-old could only drive a low effort at Howard, who blocked the shot with his feet.
Byrne was at heart of everything for Swindon down the right, and he teed up Massimo Luongo from the edge of the box. The Australian international opted to shoot himself, with a number of options inside the area, sending his effort high into the Kop to a chorus of jeers.
But even though Mark Cooper's men had began to gain a strong foothold in the game, they could have gone into half-time two goals down had it not been for Chris Basham's poor finish. After brilliant build-up, the midfielder cut onto his left foot from the right, but could only fire over Foderingham's crossbar as the home side failed to build upon their lead.
Stefan Scougall was forced to replace Brayford at the break, who clashed knees with Hylton and could not continue. As a result, Basham dropped back into centre-back, but it did little to unbalance the home side.
That said, they were forced to deal with a more intenful Town side after the break. Smith was only a yard away from firing the visitors level only a minute into the second-half - but Jordan Turnbull's cross was marginally too high for the striker to head home from only a few yards out and he could only lift a header high over the bar instead.
Cooper's side were looking increasingly more dangerous in possession, with Byrne still receiving plenty of joy down the right. The full-back cut infield and found Hylton, whose strike from inside the box was deflected wide, forcing a corner - from which Swindon drew level.
Byrne, the visitor's best attacking outlet all game, delivered an inviting cross from the right-side and Sam Ricketts' sharp movement meant he evaded his marker to power a stupendous header towards the far post with power, leaving Howard with little chance.
The home crowd were instantly taken aback by the quality of the header, but United were far from unsettled. They almost restored their lead up the other end, as goalscorer Freeman hit a fierce strike which flew just wide of the target after Paul Coutts' set-up.
Confidence was building amongst the Swindon players, who had began to find their groove as they mounted pressure towards a buoyant away contingent - but they were forced to defend well to prevent falling behind a second time.
Flynn, a former youth prospect at Liverpool, did superbly to wriggle his way into space down the right - squeezing a low cross into the feet of Jason Holt, but he could not convert after a late surge.
Swindon's second-half resurgence made for a sensational affair, as the visitors found it their turn to enjoy acres of space down the flanks through their wing-backs.
But Clough's side still continued to have their fair share of decent opportunities. A battling United side won a free-kick out of Ricketts around 35-yards from goal and after a short pass down line, Flynn swung a cross in the area, but with his back to goal - Basham could not flick a header past Foderingham.
They continued to trouble the Robins, as Flynn weaved his way into a dangerous position, spinning past Turnbull just inside Swindon's half and driving towards the box but after wrong-footing Jack Stephens - Foderingham was equal to his meek effort.
United thought they had put themselves back in the driving seat when Matt Done had the ball in the back of the net less than a minute after coming onto the pitch, only for the goal to be disallowed. Davies stole the ball away from Stephens and released the substitute towards the by-line, but despite beating Foderingham with superb feet - was adjudged to have pushed Thompson to the floor.
The home fans were left absolutely furious with the referee once again as the clock ticked down further. With Done racing down the wing to meet a loose ball, Bond brought back play to issue a yellow card to Yaser Kasim and award free-kick for the home side - who clearly felt they could have made more from continuing play.
After the introduction of Done, who has scored seven goals in 15 games since arriving from Rochdale in January - the home side's spirits, including that of their supporters, were lifted as they enjoyed the better of the game's closing stages.
It was the 26-year-old who set up Davies to sting the palms of Foderingham with a powerful effort inside the box. An enthusiastic home side, roared on by their supporters, came close again seconds later - Davies heading wide from Murphy's cross.
But the Blades continued to peg Swindon back and they were painfully close to putting themselves back in-front in the 80th minute, again after fine contributions from Done down the left.
The midfielder fizzed a dangerous cross for Scougall, but the 22-year-old attacking midfielder's header from two-yards out glanced wide of the post.
Nevertheless, the Robins weathered the storm and they had chances to themselves as the game wore down. Kasim's delay on the pitch after an injury stalled the hosts' momentum, and they continued to pour bodies forward in search of a decider.
In the dying minutes of the game, Smith beat off the challenge of two defenders but was denied by a superb last-ditch tackle from Done, which allowed Howard to gather inside his six-yard box.
Swindon almost found an unlikely, and unbelievable, source of inspiration through defender Stephens. Mesmerisingly, the 21-year-old burst forward from the back, dancing past three challenges in terrific fashion - before holding off another tackle and getting into the area, but having gone all that way, could only side-foot an effort into the side netting from a tight angle.
The game did anything but peter out into its final stages, though Scougall - who had only entered the field of play at half-time - was forced off with a muscle injury in the 87th minute.
The home side were met with fierce resistance as Swindon camped bodies outside their own box. Stephens, who almost made his mark up the other end, was on hand to make an equally vital contribution in front of his own goal as he headed away Flynn's whipped cross with Done lying in wait at the back post.
With four minutes of added time announced, Clough's side had one final chance before the full-time whistle - as Harris sauntered down the left-flank and found Done at the near post, but Thompson was on hand to intercept.
Then, with only a minute left of added time, Swindon countered and found Byrne - who had been brilliant all evening, outside the area. He fired a shot from 25-yards which bounced awkwardly in front of Howard, looping over the goalkeeper's outstretched arm to give them the advantage going into the second-leg.