David Gormley admitted his Kilwinning Rangers side 'got out of jail' after Mark Millar's last-gasp leveller kept their first-ever Scottish Cup adventure on the road.
The Buffs were staring at a surprise preliminary round exit in South Lanarkshire this afternoon after Jack McIlveen's quickfire second half double cancelled out Millar's 18th minute opener for the Ayrshire side.
But just when it looked like battling Rutherglen had done enough, former Falkirk ace Millar found the net again as he fired home an 89th minute free-kick to rescue a replay.
It wasn't the cleanest of strikes with Glens goalkeeper Matthew McGinley painfully slow to react as he was beaten low down to his left.
And Gormley was honest enough to admit his side were lucky to still to be in the tie as he accused his players of switching off after a strong start at the Hamish B Allan Stadium.
He said: "The first 30 minutes we were in control - there was lovely passing and movement.
"We were flying, the boys were brilliant, but I said to them at half-time you need to keep that up.
"Second half, the players thought the game was done I imagine. As soon as we didn't do the right things we crumbled.
"We got out of jail in the end - It wasn't good enough.
"We'll go again next week but I've said to the players it's about what we do. If we do the right things, we win the game."
It was a historic day for both West of Scotland League clubs with Rutherglen also competing in the national competition for the first time.
Kilwinning, however, were favourites to progress given their Premier Division status and they looked like they meant business in the early stages.
Jordan Stuart was inches away from getting on the end of Mark Lamont's teasing back post cross in the game's first real opening in seven minutes.
Robbie Torrance and Stuart then went close with headers from corner-kicks as the visitors piled the pressure on.
Buffs got the breakthrough they were looking for when Ben Lewis' lovely weighted lay-off on the edge of the penalty area was met first time by Millar and his fierce shot looped over the helpless McGinley.
Chris Millar, a 2014 Scottish Cup winner with St Johnstone, should have made it 2-0 in 32 minutes when he steamed onto the end of a cross but his shot from nine yards was too close to McGinley who showed good reactions to save.
Rutherglen began to show their teeth in the last 10 minutes of the first half without really testing Craig Gordon in the Kilwinning goal, but it was a warning sign that they were still very much in the tie.
The second half was a far more even affair, Glens beginning brightest before Buffs went close with efforts from Millar and Lewis.
There wasn't the same intensity to the visitors' play however and McIlveen made them pay with two goals in three minutes to turn the tie on its head.
He struck first in 69 minutes, beating Kilwinning centre-half Kenny Marshall to a bouncing ball before keeping his cool to finish past Gordon.
The frontman then left Buffs shell-shocked by pouncing again in 72 minutes to put the home side in pole position.
Buffs looked short of ideas as the desperately chased an equaliser but the award of a free-kick 22 yards from goal presented Millar with his chance and he took it.
Buffs will be hoping to make home advantage count next weekend in their bid to reach the first round proper.
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