The visitors had 90 per cent possession and territory. The hosts' calls for offside and throw-ins, when they weren't, meant they needed to focus on playing in the luxury of three-point control.
Taranaki put in a few great crosses but their wingers were guilty of not following up at the far post or, too often, individuals becoming too selfish in countless flower arrangements in the box.
However, they reloaded for another penalty kick in the 75th minute. This time Port Hill captain Mark Saunders clipping Krtek, who took the spot kick but Peta denied with a superb diving parry on to the right upright.
Port Hill striker Jonas Beerman equalised 1-1 in the 87th minute, glancing a Provines cornerkick amid vociferous approval from the army of fans.
O'Neill made no bones of their underdogs status, considering Taranaki are undefeated on the top of the table and again aspiring to break into winter's top-tier Lotto Central League.
"It's progress we're looking at to get a good base for the club, all the way through [the age groups]," he said, revealing their women's team were the strongest this season.
The Fed team have beaten Breakers Red Sox Manawatu 3-0 and Devon Homes Wanganui Athletics but lost 1-0 to Gisborne Thistle, 5-1 in their derby with Havelock North Wanderers and 1-0 to Palmerston North Marist Reserves to sit sixth on the table for eight.
O'Neill saw the irony in deserving a share of points in their 1-0 losses but taking it on Saturday when they didn't deserve it.
As a football region, he said it was imperative to push on. "Only a few years ago we had five Central League teams and a national league team on top of that here so where have all the players gone?"
With Central Football's robust coaching programme and the influx of youngsters a pathway was vital.
Taranaki coach Ian McGrath showed all the symptoms of a mentor suffering from the coach-killer virus. "They've only entered into our half in the second period of play once or twice. They scored from a corner kick that we've failed to deal with but I guess when you're sitting on a 1-0 lead it's the old adage of never being enough," McGrath said.
He could stomach a draw in a tight tussle but with a lion's share of everything he reached for antacid pills.
"We have only ourselves to blame, so that's a shame."
McGrath felt his men weren't clinical enough at the coalface. "The longer the game went on we have huffed and puffed a lot but did very little to unlock the door."
The visitors just needed someone to take ownership and the second penalty was the ticket to a 2-0 buffer.
"We missed it and invited them to take the opportunity so it feels like a loss. It's not a draw. It's a waste of three points."
Port Hill, he said, were thrilled to bits but realised how fortunate they had been.
"We had four first-team players missing today but that's no excuse because these players are good enough to still win and win well against any team in this league," McGrath said, congratulating Port Hill for their never-say-die attitude.
Coming off a 6-1 victory over Red Sox last round, Taranaki will have to be ruthless if they want to make Central League again.
