This was one miracle too far.
St Johnstone have grown accustomed to making the impossible possible over the last 12 months.
The Betfred Cup; the Scottish Cup; a draw against Galatasaray in Istanbul — the legend of this side growing with each passing fixture.
While a cup double is tough to surpass, eliminating the 22-time champions of Turkey — the club of Gheorghe Hagi, Fatih Terim and Didier Drogba — would have been a new continental high.
But it was not to be.
Goals from Mbaye Diagne, Muhammed Akturkoglu, Sofiane Feghouli and Emre Kilinc rendered an Ismail Cepe own goal and a late Michael O’Halloran strike moot as the Saintees bowed out of the Europa League.
But they exit with their head held high following a European night that will live long in the memory.
Electric atmosphere
Innumerable Galatasaray supporters on Twitter have taken to calling St Johnstone a small club on social media.
Compared to the giants of Istanbul? Most are.
However, this ‘small club’ — as they say — is fond of a big shock and a sold-out McDiarmid Park was at fever pitch ahead of the the first whistle.
The sides were greeted by a sea of blue, white, red and yellow flags. And if the visual was impressive, the sound was staggering.
What a din. A heady mix of excitement and — make no mistake — plenty of belief.
Kane is able
O’Halloran was a waspish, all-action nuisance in the opening stages, while a 50-yard surge forward and cool cross-field pass by Ali McCann underlined his comfort at this level.
There are few fanbases who have been deprived of so many magic moments during the pandemic lock-out.
The League Cup triumph; that win at Ibrox; completing the double at Hampden. Glorious occasions and unforgettable achievements, played out to a backdrop of silence.
So, the Saintees were making up for lost time. Every tackle, set-piece and burst into the final third was roared to high heaven. This was the atmosphere all those iconic afternoons in 2020/21 deserved.
Galatasaray take the lead through Diagne 👇
Watch live on @BBCScotland pic.twitter.com/IwGW2JLcJK
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) August 12, 2021
However, Galatasaray silenced the McDiarmid Park faithful in the most effective manner with 30 minutes on the clock.
Kerem Akturkoglu delivered a sensational through-ball between Liam Gordon and Jason Kerr, allowing the turbo-charged Diagne to hare into the box and zip a low finish through the legs of Clark.
Would St Johnstone wilt? This group? Not a chance. Davidson’s men were level within five minutes.
McCann’s deep corner was nodded across the face of goal by Kerr and Kane out-jumped the weak, flapping Galatasaray goalkeeper Cepe. The ball looped over the line and an own goal was awarded.
St Johnstone are back in it!
Chris Kane heads them level 👇 pic.twitter.com/q3NG5OW2nJ
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) August 12, 2021
Vociferous claims for a foul on Cepe were rightly ignored by referee Andris Treimanis.
Heartbreaking finale
The sight of Steven MacLean winding up coaching legend Fatih Terim is an image for the ages. As was Patrick van Aanholt being jeered for allowing a pass to slip under his studs and drift out of play.
But away from the pantomime, there was always the danger that Galatasaray would produce a moment of inspiration to regain the lead after the break.
That came courtesy of grizzled talisman Arda Turan, who flicked a sumptuous pass into the path of Akturkoglu, cutting through the heart of the Saints defence. The young winger made no mistake in prodding a close-range finish beyond Clark.
Akturkoglu — the stand-out performer in an ordinary Gala side — then teed up Galatasaray’s third of the match with a defence-splitting pass, with Feghouli slamming a low shot past the sprawling Clark.
A blockbuster finale saw Kilinc ripple the net after a mix-up in the Saints backline before O’Halloran gave the hosts the final word, scrambling in from a yard following a sensational run by Shaun Rooney.
The full-time whistle saw St Johnstone given a heroes reception from the fervent faithful — and this continental campaign isn’t over yet.
Davidson’s charges drop in to the Europa Conference League and few will relish facing them.
