For a moment, it looked like Coventry were about to write perhaps the greatest FA Cup story ever told.
There were scenes of jubilation against Coventry at Wembley when Victor Tope scored at the end of extra time to make it 4-3 after trailing 3-0 against Manchester United.
But the celebrations were cut short by an offside decision before United could take the penalty shootout following the Championship club's stunning comeback.
At the end, the Sky Blue players on the pitch and the Sky Blue supporters in the stands were in tears.
“We just told them [the players] They have left their mark on the history of the football club,” said Coventry manager Mark Robins.
“People will be talking about this game for a long time.”
“If he had cut his toenails, we wouldn't have been talking about a penalty.”
Coventry City may have been eliminated from the FA Cup, but they played their part in a semi-final that will be remembered for years to come.
The Sky Blues found themselves in a desperate situation when Bruno Fernandes' goal in the 59th minute put Manchester United 3-0 ahead.
Goals from Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire gave the Red Devils the lead at half-time, but Fernandes looked set to equalize.
Still, the Sky Blues came roaring back.
Ellis Sims' sixth FA Cup goal of the season appeared to be just a consolation in the 71st minute, but Callum O'Hare deflected home eight minutes later.
Robins, who won the FA Cup with Manchester United in 1990, said after the game: “We were all excited about that.”
Haji Wright then sparked jubilation among the 36,000 Sky Blues fans as he kept his cool to score from the penalty spot five minutes into stoppage time.
But more drama was in store when Wright was ruled offside just as Coventry appeared to be ahead at the end of extra time.
“Twenty seconds left and we're in the FA Cup final, 30 seconds later it's a penalty shootout,” Robins added.
“If he [Wright] If you cut his toenails, we won't be talking about penalties. ”
“They'll be talking about this FA Cup semi-final forever,” said Guy Mowbray, who was commentating on “Today's Match” at Wembley.
England and Arsenal forward Ian Wright said Coventry had “really hit their stride” while the draw “went into disarray”.
Mr Wright added on ITV1: “They almost got it done.”
“This is going to hurt.”
Losing on penalties at Wembley is not a new experience for Coventry.
In the Championship play-off final in May last year, they came from behind to win against Luton in extra time.
Then they Lost 6-5 in penalty shootout And they missed out on qualifying for the Premier League.
“It happened in the summer, we were very close to being a Premier League team,” Robins added.
Coventry have delighted the nation with their best result since winning the FA Cup in 1987.
In a dramatic quarter-final, they lost 2-1 to Wolves and were on the verge of elimination. Scored two goals in stoppage time to pass through.
And they gave United an almighty scare before going into the game.
“It's going to hurt today because it was a close game,” Robbins said. “It hit the bar and the goal was canceled out. I’m really proud of the players.
“This FA Cup win will be talked about for a long time around Coventry City. We can't be too down about it.”