Southampton withstood a ferocious atmosphere in Romania tonight but crashed out of the UEFA Cup after fluffing their lines in front of goal.
Saints lost 1-0 against Steaua Bucharest to see their return to Europe after a 19-year absence end at the first hurdle in a 2-1 aggregate defeat.
Kevin Phillips, Southampton's scorer in the first leg, went from hero to villain as he missed a great one-on-one chance and after Rory Delap completely missed his kick from six yards out, Claudiu Raducanu struck eight minutes from time to send Gordon Strachan's men out.
Steaua's 25,000-strong home support created an intensely-hostile backdrop for Saints and their 2,000 fans in the archaic Ghencea Stadium. The visitors were subjected to crescendos of boos and whistles at regular intervals.
But Strachan's men coped with the atmosphere formed by the Romanian league leaders' passionate fans and were only let down by their own finishing.
With Chris Marsden, Neil McCann and Matt Oakley all missing it was all set up for a tricky night for Southampton, with the passionate backing for the home team complemented by a bumpy pitch made slippy by pouring rain.
Raducanu, the scorer of Steaua's vital away goal in the first leg, had an early effort deflected wide.
Fabrice Fernandes recovered from a thumping tackle on him to curl the visitors' first attempt into Vasili Hamutovski's midriff with eight minutes on the clock.
And Fernandes was in the thick of the action again when he latched onto Rory Delap's excellent diagonal pass and slid across a centre which the Steaua defence scrambled clear.
Their first genuine scoring opportunity came just after the half-hour. Skipper Jason Dodd scooped in a cross and Phillips stretched and sent a header over the top.
Steaua had a far clearer chance six minutes before the break. Marian Aliuta took Dodd out of play with a clever reverse pass which put Bostina in on goal - but the ball bobbled and he produced an embarrassing airshot from eight yards out.
Phillips fluffed a gilt-edged chance to put Saints ahead two minutes before the interval.
Fernandes put the former Sunderland striker clean through but keeper Hamutovski stood his ground and parried Phillips' weak side-foot shot. Saints were also left kicking themselves five minutes after half-time, when another superb chance went begging.
James Beattie nodded down Danny Higginbotham's cross and Delap, just six yards out and right in front of goal, flashed a boot at the ball but failed to make any contact.
Anders Svensson also drilled a strike just past Hamutovski's left-hand uprightas Strachan's men upped the pressure.
The Romanians hit back with Raducanu first scuffing a shot into the turf and Florentin Dumitru then smacking a drive narrowly wide.
But Saints were giving as good as they got and after Fernandes shot wide, Paul Telfer cracked a dipping 20-yard volley just past the angle of post and bar. Phillips sent a spectacular 30-yarder fizzing just wide as Saints pushed for a crucial goal.
But the breakthrough came at the other end as Steaua hit the visitors on the break in the closing stages to book their place in the second round.
Victor Piturca's side burst forward on the break and Raducanu exchanged passes with Dumitru before sliding the ball home from eight yards.
Phillips blasted wide from 18 yards as Southampton pushed in vain for an equaliser.