A rash of red cards, tumult in the terraces and a rollercoaster of a semi-final in 120 crazy minutes later, Singapore are in the Tiger Cup final for the first time in six years after a 4-2 extra time victory over Myanmar.  

The Lions held a slender advantage before the game after triumphing 4-3 in the first leg but looked to have put themselves in a hard place as they found themselves 2-0 down with 15 minutes to go.

Soe Myat Min's curling drive after a quarter of an hour and Aung Kyaw Moe's deflected effort three minutes into the second stunned the Singapore fans into dejection.

But with the minutes bleeding away, Noh Alam Shah's header was wildly rocketed into goal by Zaw Lynn Tun's desperate attempt at a clearance.

That goal, ecstatically celebrated by Singapore who had nothing go right for them up to that point, balanced the tie level on aggregate and engineered extra time.

Substitute striker Indra Sahdan could have settled the game in regulation time but left Singapore howling in agony after his penalty struck Myanmar keeper Aung Oo's post instead of the back of the net. Indra had been fell in the box by a bodycheck from the unfortunate Lynn Tunn, who was sent off for his trouble.

Indra's penalty might not have ended it there and then but the fallout from Japanese referee Kamikawa Toru's decision - another Myanmar red card for Moe Kyaw Thu, after a foolish kicking of a clod of mud at the referee - effectively sealed their fate.

After all, striker Yan Paing had been sent off with a second yellow card minutes before Singapore's first goal - this for an equally needlessly swipe at Daniel Bennett's ankles - and Myanmar were left with eight men for the mandatory half hour of extra time.

Myanmar's incensed fans, dear victory slipping from their grasp, were involved in running scuffles with Singapore fans and security personnel after Kyaw Thu and Lynn Thun's dismissals. Both sets of fans were culpable for the chaos as they taunted each other, squared off aggressively and flung the stadium's dustbins around before being subdued by security.

Like the maddened Myanmar fans who vaulted the 3 metre drop from the terraces to attack police officers, their team had lost the plot, leaving coach Ivan Kolev dumbfounded at their blazing fury as any semblance of team discipline or shape vanished.

The Lions passed the ball around their decimated opponents with ease and took the lead on aggregate four minutes into extra time, Noh Alam Shah coolly footing home past Aung after Goh Tat Chuan's shot ricocheted off the underside of the bar.

Two minutes later, Alam Shah had his second as he met Agu Casmir's cross from the right with a fine finish. Nigerian-born Agu then sealed a topsy turvy victory when he was left with a tap-in from Khairul Amri's good work down the left in the 108th minute.

There was still time for another Myanmar sending off, this time for reserve keeper Tun Tun Lin after he disgracefully hurled a water bottle at S Subramani, striking the Singapore defender full on the ear.

There was no stopping Singapore by fair means or foul though and the Lions were celebrating their first appearance in the Tiger Cup final for six years come Toru's final whistle.

But the Lions and their red clad fans might well have been contemplating yet another agonising collapse on home ground after a full Sunday's worth of rain sent tactical plans out of the window and the match into the realms of chaos.

The rain stopped somewhat ominously just before kickoff - raising unpleasant memories of two years ago when in a similar situation, Singapore were hammered 4-0 by arch rivals Malaysia in the same stadium.

When Alam Shah raced clear from Agu's through pass just three minutes only to be foiled by the ball sticking in a puddle, the signs were that the two teams and 30,000 fans were in for an extraordinary night.

Myanmar's custodian Aung then came to the fore as he preserved the visitors' lead with a body block of Itimi Dickson's stiff shot and a smothering arm flapping away Agu's toe poke from Alam Shah's cross.

Aung looked to have been beaten midway through the first half as Alam Shah edged in front of two defenders to take down Agu's superbly lofted pass and steer the ball past the keeper.

Unfortunately for Singapore, Toru ruled that the takedown was more hand than chest and flashed a yellow card for Alam Shah instead of pointing to the centre circle - a decision showed by replays to be harsh in both the disallowed effort and the card.

Kyaw Moe's long range effort deflected wickedly past Lionel minutes after half-time to seemingly leave Singapore dazed and on their way out of the Tiger Cup.

That was, until Alam Shah rose high above two markers to plant his header goalwards - and wheel away celebrating after Lynn Tun's wild swipe sent it crashing into the back of the net.