Ruan Pienaar has slotted a conversion from the sideline after full-time to steer the Sharks to an amazing 27-26 Investec Super 14 victory over the Crusaders in at Absa Stadium in Durban.
In a victory that came completely against the run of play and after the Crusaders led 26-20 through 80 minutes, speedster Odwa Ndungane managed a 70-metre run to score a miracle try in the corner.
Heading into the contest as the surprising underdogs having only won two of their last four matches, the Crusaders appeared to have cast aside the odds to hand the Sharks their first defeat of the season.
And in a tight first half, only a Kieran Read try separated the fierce rivals as defence took centre-stage.
With both Stephen Brett and Percy Montgomery exchanging early penalties, it was the visiting side that made better use of its possession to take a 13-6 lead into the break.
However, coming out of the sheds clearly desperate to maintain their unbeaten run, the Sharks struck back with an Albert van den Berg try.
And despite the Crusaders' best efforts, a freakish passage of play in the dying moments gifted the Sharks with the incredible win.
Four minutes into the contest, it was the visitors who got off to a flying start when flyhalf Brett sent a wobbly penalty goal over.
Scarcely three minutes later, Montgomery squared the contest.
For the next 15 minutes of play, it was all one-way traffic as the Sharks mounted unsuccessful attack after attack deep inside the visitors' territory.
But despite lacking in possession, it was again the Crusaders who broke the deadlock in the 25th minute after Brett landed another penalty courtesy of a Sharks infringement.
Reinforcing their lead moments later, Crusaders veteran Scott Hamilton engineered the first try of the match when he broke through the line, ran 30 metres and offloaded to flanker Read to score under the posts.
With less than three minutes remaining in the opening half and comfortably ahead 13-3, a brilliant counter-attack mounted by the Crusaders deep inside their own half was then agonisingly cut short by the referee.
Having weathered another Sharks attack, the visiting backline set sail and Hamilton, after latching onto a chip-kick from Brett over the Sharks' defence, appeared a near certainty to canter down the field and score.
However, it was ruled that the utility wing had been forward of the kicker and the Sharks were gifted another penalty goal, which Montgomery slotted over to reduce the margin to 13-6..
In similar tight fashion to the opening 40 minutes, both sides appeared capable in attack and it was the Crusaders who missed the first real chance of the second half when Brett sent a penalty attempt wide in the 46th minute.
Three minutes later, the Sharks clawed back into the contest when van den Berg burrowed over after some good driving from the home side's forward pack. Montgomery landed the subsequent penalty and for the first time since early in the first half, the score was once again level.
Then, in the most costly of handling errors, Ndungane, unmarked and over the try-line, momentarily lost control of the ball and a five-point gift went begging, much to the Crusaders' relief.
To add insult to injury, just two minutes later, powerhouse Crusaders No.8 Mose Tuiali'i ran 30m unmarked to score from the back of the lineout to restore the visiting side's healthy seven-point buffer.
But just as the Crusaders looked to be coasting to victory, Sharks reserve Bismarck Wilhelm du Plessis gave the Absa Stadium fans something to cheer about after he powered his way over the line to once again square the score with 15 minutes remaining.
With the score deadlocked on 20-20, a careless high tackle from Butch James gifted Brett with another penalty to put the visitors ahead with nine minutes left to play.
Then, winding down the clock, the Crusaders then looked to have sealed the match in the 75th minute when Brett sent over a wobbly drop-goal to give his side a six-point lead.
However, with the result all but decided, Ndungane, making up for his earlier mistake, charged down the field and scored in the corner despite the cover tackle from Hamilton. Pienaar then, kicking from right on the sideline, slotted over the miraculous kick to steal a truly remarkable victory in an amazing game.
Sharks 27
Tries: Van den Berg, du Plessis, Ndungane
Conversions: Montgomery 2, Pienaar
Penalties: Montgomery 2
Crusaders 26
Tries: Read, Tuiali'i
Conversions: Brett 2
Penalties: Brett 3
Drop Goals: Brett
