BURIRAM, Thailand -- At the sixth time of asking, Johor Darul Ta'zim have finally gotten one over Buriram United.
Unfortunately for them, ending their woeful record against the Thai League 1 giants will be scant consolation as Wednesday's 2-1 victory at Chang Arena was not enough to prevent Buriram from advancing from the semifinals of the ASEAN Club Championship 4-3 on aggregate.
Buriram had dealt the crucial damage seven days ago with a clinical 3-1 triumph at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Johor Bahru -- scoring with their only three shots on target -- to ultimately leave their Malaysia Super League opposition with what proved to be too much of a mountain to climb -- despite their best efforts.
JDT had initially done well to erase their opponents' two-goal advantage courtesy of goals from Bérgson da Silva and Marcos Guilherme, and force extra-time.
However, it was the hosts who had more in reserve -- with Kingsley Schindler popping up with an emphatic finish in the 98th minute to send his team through to the final, where they will come up against another Malaysian outfit in the form of Selangor.
In a sure sign that this is ever-growing rivalry -- between the two teams who can stake a respective claim to being the best team in all of Southeast Asian football - is now reaching tempestuous levels, Buriram actually finished the game with just nine players but were just able to hold onto to the result they needed.
It was a game that had just about everything, including a fair share of controversy - beginning in the 16th minute when Sasalak Haiprakhon looked to have extended his arm to block a cross inside the Buriram area. It seemed that -- at the very least -- VAR would recommend referee Kim Woo-Sung to have a second look but the moment came and went, much to the bafflement of the JDT camp.
Just like they did last week, the visitors actually looked the livelier of the two teams from the opening whistle -- although they were largely restricted to efforts from range.
Bérgson forced Neil Etheridge into a flying save with a 25-yard effort two minutes before the half-hour mark, before an excellent attempt from Ager Aketxe in the 43rd minute -- on his non-preferred right foot -- was a whisker away from finding the top corner.
Nonetheless, in first-half stoppage time, JDT would duly break the deadlock.
Just when it looked like another chance had gone begging after Bérgson's close-range effort was blocked on the line by Schindler, the VAR intervened on this occasion and called play back to just before -- when Etheridge had dropped a high ball and, in an attempt to recover, scythed Guilherme down inside the box.
Kim certainly took his time looking at the monitor but would eventually return to the field and point to the spot, paving the way for Bérgson to drill down the middle from 12 yards for a milestone 200th goal for the club in all competition.
The goal did seem to ignite some life in the hosts at the start of the second half.
Goran Čaušić had a header in the 57th minute from a Peter Žulj freekick cleared just ahead of the line by Eddy Israfilov, before Guilherme Bissoli just narrowly failed to fire a shot away from close range two minutes later after being played in by Supachai Jaided.
Nonetheless, right when it seemed as though Buriram were getting back into the contest, JDT doubled their lead two minutes after the hour mark.
A lofted ball to the edge of the box was targeted at Jairo but it was actually an attempted clearance header by Shinnaphat Leeaoh that directed the ball back towards his own goal, where Guilherme got in just ahead of Etheridge to poked it under the Buriram keeper's body and trickling over the line.
From that point, with the tie now back at square one at 3-3 on aggregate, it set the stage for an absolute thriller.
There were crucial blocks, outstanding saves and more goal-line clearances.
JDT had an incredible triple escape in the 81st minute when another towering header from Čaušić that was thwarted by a fine save from Syihan Hazmi led to Sasalak's low drive before blocked brilliantly by Afiq Fazail, before another follow-up effort from the edge of the box by Žulj crashed back off the bar.
Ten minutes of injury-time were soon added and there were plenty of close shaves yet, with neither side able to find the breakthrough, an additional 30 were added.
Now, it looked as though JDT's efforts -- in clawing back that two-goal deficit -- were starting to take it toll.
Buriram had more spring in their step. They spurned an excellent opportunity in the 95th minute when Bissoli's cross-shot from the left side of the box proved to be too much of a shot and less of a cross -- fizzing across the six-yard box but just out of reach of the sliding Suphanat Mueanta.
Three minutes later, Buriram were not to be denied.
An opening looked to have gone begging when JDT cleared their lines but Aketxe carelessly gave away possession 25 yards out from goal, as an alert Čaušić nipped in to win possession and made what proved to be the right option in feeding it out right to Schindler.
It is quite remarkable that, despite how much ground he had covered up till that 98th minute, the Buriram wing-back still found an incredible amount of power in his right foot to lash an unstoppable strike in the roof of the net -- with Syihan beaten all ends up even though the shot was fairly central.
And still, there was enough time for many more twists to the tale.
Bissoli was sent off in the 102nd minute for a second bookable offence after needlessly deciding to swing at the ball after the whistle had gone, only to catch Israfilov with a kick to the body.
Suphanat could have finished the contest after a fantastic solo run from the halfway line only for his low shot to force another smart save out of Syihan, before Čaušić joined Bissoli for an early shower in the 115th minute after swinging out at an opponent in an off-the-ball incident that was picked up by VAR.
And as the clock ticked over into the 121st minute, a freekick on the left edge of the box provided JDT with one final chance to stay alive and force penalties.
Óscar Arribas probably could have crossed but the quality of the effort meant that, in hindsight, he was definitely entitled to go for goal.
With a knuckleball freekick a certain Cristiano Ronaldo would have been proud of, he sent a shot fizzing erratically towards goal. It looked to have befuddled Etheridge but, just as the the Buriram custodian looked to be going the wrong way, he reacted in time to produce an outstanding reflex save -- preserving Buriram's title defence in the process.