Spartans underpinned their status as protagonists of Scottish Cup drama after adding Morton, the League One leaders, to a long list of scalps with this captivating victory.

The players and management duly lapped up the acclaim when they exited the Ainslie Park stage and the beer was flowing as the celebrations continued in the changing room. But as captain Keith McLeod - a veteran of memorable past cup victories over the likes of Alloa, Arbroath, Queen's Park, Annan and Elgin - lowered himself reluctantly into an ice bath and considered the magnitude of this latest win, he knew that this achievement would not even register in his household.

"The boys were all having a beer in the dressing room, but I was lying in an ice bath with a bottle of water," said the 36-year-old. "The ice bath's essential at my age and the reason I was on the water was because I was driving - my daughter Sophie starred as a dancer in Aladdin with Grant Stott at the King's Theatre on Saturday night.

"She's nine, going on 10, and it was the first time she had been in a show like this. It's great for her and all the family. To be honest, football's completely secondary in my house. I was sitting there in the ice bath thinking, 'They won't even ask me the score when I go in'."

Sophie may have taken centre stage in the McLeod family household on Saturday but there was no chance of her dad's contribution to Spartans' latest giant-killing feat going unnoticed.

At half-time, however, it seemed highly likely that the Edinburgh club's Scottish Cup adventure was about to end. Morton, having controlled the first half, deservedly led through a 25th-minute strike by Andy Barrowman from close range. But the hosts were a different side after the break. The equaliser arrived in the 71st minute, when Willie Bremner shot past Morton keeper Jamie McGowan from inside the box.

The visitors then had forward Stefan McCluskey sent off when he collected a second yellow card 10 minutes from time, and with Scotland manager Gordon Strachan - patron of the Spartans Community Football Academy - in attendance, Jack Beesley secured victory in the 90th minute, when he cooly found the net from close range.

Many of the part-timers' past cup escapades took place at their ramshackle City Park across the road from their current state-of-the-art complex in the north of Edinburgh. But the home of Spartans continues to be a cup graveyard for league clubs, as Clyde discovered in the previous round.

McLeod hopes Spartans' latest exploit reinforces the image that they are not a club to be taken lightly ahead of today's last-16 draw.

He added: "In the past, teams came here with it in their head about what we'd done at the old City Park, but it's a whole new set-up now. Maybe Saturday changes that, maybe teams will fear us again. You can't be a non-league club and have success in the Scottish Cup every year. It goes in cycles - and maybe this is a start of a new cycle for us.

"Before this, the best cup moment was probably drawing 0-0 at home to St Mirren in 2006. City Park was packed that day and we had a chance right at the end to win it. But this surpasses even that, no doubt.

"I'd say I've played 16 or 17 Scottish Cup ties and, genuinely, all week I'd thought this might have been the last. Because of that, all I wanted to do was put in a decent performance. But football's a crazy game and now I might get picked for another one."

Once the pain of this embarrassing cup result subsides, Morton will be desperate to ensure that the defeat does not interfere with their main focus - trying to achieve promotion back to the Championship.

Winger Jamie McCluskey said: "I've said that we have to get this out of our system quick. I know it's hard to swallow, but we have a big game against Stranraer next week and we have to make sure we get a good week in training.

"It's a tough one to take, but all credit to Spartans, they kept going. With 20 minutes to go on the park, you could kind of feel it coming."

Morton manager Jim Duffy added: "You have to congratulate Spartans.

"We can't dwell on it but you can't just brush it aside either. You can't discard results like that. It sticks in your throat and it certainly will not go away over the next day or so - that's for sure."