Toyosi Olusanya (third from right) scored in the final minute of regulation time
Toyosi Olusanya's close-range goal secured St Mirren a dramatic late draw in the first leg of their Conference League third qualifying round tie against Brann.
The Norwegian visitors dominated possession throughout and had several clear-cut chances, but an inspired display from Ellery Balcombe in the St Mirren goal kept them at bay during the first half.
Balcombe continued to repel the visitors after the break, but a well-taken volley from Felix Myhre on 75 minutes gave Brann a deserved lead.
It looked certain to be the winning goal, but with time running out, Olusanya got on the end of fellow substitute James Scott's cross to bring Stephen Robinson's side level.
St Mirren travel to Norway for the second leg next Thursday (18:00 BST), with a play-off spot on the line.
The winner will play Corvinul Hunedoara or Astana in the play-off round, with Kazakhs Astana winning Thursday's first-leg 2-1 in Romania.
Defensive grit is a quality that has become synonymous with St Mirren under the Northern Irish manager and they stood strong in the face of relentless pressure.
Richard Taylor and Jaden Brown both threw their bodies on the line to block goal-bound shots, and any shots that did get through the Buddies’ back five were repelled by Balcombe, who has impressed since signing on loan from Brentford.
The hosts struggled to keep hold of the ball but did pose a threat from set pieces, and could have taken the lead had Mikael Mandron’s header not fallen agonisingly wide.
After the break, the game followed a similar pattern of play, with Balcombe making another excellent save down to his right.
One suspected it would take something special to beat the St Mirren stopper, and Myhre - who was probably the standout player for Brann - did so with a lovely piece of technique.
He met a looping ball inside the box with a left-footed volley that skipped off the greasy turf and found the bottom corner before Balcombe could react.
But St Mirren were level by full-time.
After Brann cleared a corner, the hosts recycled and put another cross into the box. Scott got on the end of it, fired a low ball across the face of goal and Olusanya got in front of his marker to poke home.
The initial corner came about after Brann had put the ball out of play for an injury, and the visitors fumed at St Mirren’s decision not to give them the ball back.
Heated arguments between opposition players and staff alike continued after the full-time whistle, while the unbothered home fans celebrated with glee.
Player of the match - Ellery Balcombe
St Mirren are still in the contest thanks to their goalkeeper, who pulled off a string of excellent saves and looks to be a real find
Buddies fight to the end - analysis
Robinson made three changes to the side that impressively beat HIbernian 3-0 on Sunday, looking to keep his squad fresh for an uncharacteristically busy start to the season.
However, his side struggled to reach the levels they did in their Scottish Premiership opener against a slick, organised Brann side who dominated possession from minute one.
The opener came at a time where St Mirren were having their best spell of the game, with fresh legs off the bench delivering fresh impetus, and could have proved to be a body blow.
Instead, they fought right to the end and gave their chances of progression a huge boost with just seconds of normal time remaining.
What the manager said
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson: "I didn't think we played particularly well to be honest, we didn't do ourselves justice on the ball, but what a story for these young boys to come back against a club of that standard. Paisley is bouncing tonight.
"I'm delighted for the fans and everyone involved. The storyline is a real positive one for me. We'll have to play better when we go abroad. We'll look forward to that."
What's next?
St Mirren visit Aberdeen in the Premiership on Sunday (15:00 BST) and visit Brann next Thursday (18:00).
