"They [Thistle] came to play with a good balance of young and old players,' O'Neill said, believing the visitors were not too far behind in terms of population base to pick players.
"I had three teens on the bench and they got us going quite well," he said, as Port Hill started to play a simple passing game, putting the ball out wide and turning it in for striker Patrick Pilz to score all four goals (51st, 90th, 101st and 115th minutes).
Striker David Ure opened Thistle's account in the 21st minute before centre-mid Ander Batarrita, of Spain, made it 2-0 in the 37th.
Centreback Brad Reynolds got the 3-3 equaliser in the second spell of extra-time.
Gisborne coach John Stirton was pleased with his troops despite having to "drag in a couple of guys" after a few regulars were not available "for some reason or other" to play a Computer Care Pacific Premiership side.
Stirton was unhappy with the 90th-minute equaliser from Port Hill's cornerkick, disputing the ball had earlier touched his defender to go over the goal line and questioning Port Hill's honesty.
"One of their players, not the club, said on the park, 'This is how we win games'," the coach lamented, adding his players were honest in every call on the park yesterday and referee Gordon Harris had realised it was a mistake.
The Grant Hastings-coached Hastings Old Boys are showing immediate progress this season after beating Western Rangers 4-2 in a penalty shootout at the Hastings Boys' High School ground in the battle of the premiership minnows.
The sides were locked 2-2 at fulltime after the predominantly schoolboys led 2-1 at halftime when Jackson Ralph struck twice (6th and 14th minutes) before Rangers right wing/striker Paul Drivers pulled one back in injury time of the first spell before finding the equaliser in the 85th minute.
The hosts went up 3-2 through right-mid Dylan Duross in extra-time (96th) before the Ritchie Howard-coached Rangers levelled 3-3 through Micky Nixon in the 113th.
Hastings was delighted, considering his Sam Fields-captained troops with centreback Regan Cameron, leftback Phil Doolan and teacher Kevin Atkinson the only adults although Doolan hobbled off with an injury after 10 minutes.
"It was also our first win in the premiership on Saturday [2-0 over Cru Bar Maycenvale United] in 21 games," the HBHS director of football said, stressing his young charges were developing and learning as they went.
Yesterday, he singled out goalkeeper Reuben Young for making a save in the shootout and keeping a clean sheet on Saturday.
Howard said: "It was a good old-fashioned cup fight."
Having started slowly in the premiership with a draw and three losses, he took heart in his men showing some ticker yesterday.
In other games, Motorua FC (New Plymouth) thrashed Wanganui Athletic 4-1 after leading 3-1 at halftime.
Vincent Sharpe scored twice and Adam Gill (Team Taranaki pair) once for the victors while Richard Saunders scored for the hosts who conceded an own goal.
Taradale AFC beat New Plymouth Boys' High School 3-0 at Skoglund Park, in Palmerston North, while New Plymouth Rangers Reserves pipped Maycenvale 3-2 at the same venue.
Team Taranaki coach Ian McGrath said Rangers Reserves had several of his players and should not be taken lightly.
