A 1-0 defeat against Tampines Rovers on Thursday night did not stop Brunei DPMM from advancing through to the next round of the RHB Singapore Cup, thanks to their first leg advantage.
The Bruneians had done the hard work at Jalan Besar Stadium three days earlier and a resilient showing at the Jurong West Stadium in the second leg preserved their 3-1 lead, which saw them advance to the final four.
They were aided by a muted display from the Stags, who rarely looked like scoring despite needing to overturn the deficit.
They nearly went behind after just five minutes and were indebted to goalkeeper Rodrigo Pacheco for pulling off a fine save to push Shahrazen Said's low drive behind.
V. Sundramoorthy's men had plenty of possession but did little with the ball, as Mateo Roskam and Fabian Kwok both flashed efforts wide.
Kwok then should have done better in the 22nd minute when Roskam's cut-back from the right found its way to him, but he fired over the bar under pressure from 12 yards.
Thereafter, Rodrigo Tosi's grounder from 25 yards rolled agonisingly wide of the post after taking a deflection.
Firdaus Idros tested Wardun Yussof with a curler after cutting in from the left in the 52nd minute, but the goalkeeper easily fielded the shot.
The winger then seemed to have a legitimate penalty appeal waved away a minute later, leaving Sundramoorthy fuming on the touchline.
Substitute Noh Alam Shah nearly reduced the deficit in the 73rd minute, but his sidefooted shot from another Roskam cut-back took a nick and bobbled just wide of the goal.
Jamil Ali was thrown on in the closing stages as Tampines grew desperate, but the DPMM defence held firm.
The breakthrough only belatedly arrived in the final seconds of injury time when Tosi was brought down in the box by Joseph Gamble.
Fahrudic Mustafic's penalty was blocked by Wardun, though Ismadi Mukhtar slotted home the rebound to give them a brief glimpse of hope.
From the restart, Jamil Ali led the charge into the box but a solid tackle from Brian McLean took the ball away from him and the game from Tampines, as the final whistle went shortly after.
Sundramoorthy lamented his side's failure to be more clinical, but urged them to focus on the league, with it being their only chance at a trophy now.
"We had a number of chances we didn't convert, but I think overall the boys tried [their best]," he asserted.
"We need to move on, that's my call to the boys: let's focus on the league, let's try to see what we can do. They are professionals, they will come back stronger; they will know that it's about the league [now], nothing else."
As for his counterpart Steve Kean, the Scot declared that they would be targeting a Cup triumph.
"We certainly didn't perform tonight, but we showed the steel and ugliness to get through," he said. "We are confident that we can get to the final and that we can win it, because we are a good team."
Tampines Rovers: Rodrigo Pacheco, Ismadi Mukhtar, Fahrudic Mustafic (C), Predrag Pocuca, Shaiful Esah (Zulfadli Zainal 80'), Ridhuan Muhamad (Noh Alam Shah 65'), Isa Halim, Fabian Kwok (Jamil Ali 83'), Firdaus Idros, Rodrigo Tosi, Mateo Roskam
Brunei DPMM: Wardun Yussof, Aminuddin Zakwan, Boris Raspudic, Brian McLean, Sairol Sahari, Rosmin Kamis (C), Azwan Saleh (Maududi Hilmi 90'), Joseph Gamble, Rafael Ramazotti , Azwan Ali, Shahrazen Said (Adi Said 66')