Bay United, again, were guilty of sitting back too deep, adopting a bunker mentality but a couple of vociferous fans should take credit for exposing their mindset when they yelled: "Get in there!"
Striker Angus Kilkolly reacted immediately with some aggressiveness but it wasn't until the 44th minute that Bay United created an opportunity.
Teenage centre-mid Ross Willox showed a turn of feet when he intercepted a pass just inside his half, skilfully skinned his counterparts through the spine of the field before 25m out finding striker Saul Halpin on the left flank.
Top Bay goal scorer Halpin, whose father Russ has been in the province for 10 weeks following his stint, surged into the box but, frustratingly, didn't back himself to have a shot at goal as his oblique cross was deflected over the goal line.
However from the ensuing cornerkick from Willox, Lea'alafa fouled midfielder Facundo Barbero just inside the top of the 18m box in what at first seemed to be a misguided effort from the teenager.
Referee Matt Conger pointed to the penalty spot in two minutes of added time.
It was more agony for the Bay United faithful as Auckland keeper Enaut Zubikarai Goni dived to his right but stuck his foot out to the left to deflect the ball out of harm's way.
Whatever acting coach Jamie Dunning, at the helm as coach Brett Angell serves his four-match suspension in the hospitality booth, said in his pep talk in the changing rooms worked wonders in the second spell.
The Finlay Milne-skippered side came out more with an attacking mindset and almost equalised in the 56th minute after Lewis grabbed a runaway Barbero from behind.
Referee Conger was compelled to award a freekick after a roasting from the crowd. A header from the ensuing passage of play soared just over the crossbar.
The official got a little carried away after that, almost apologetically flashing a yellow card to Barbero leading with an elbow into leftback Takuya Iwata in an aerial attack before repeating the disciplinary action on Auckland striker Ryan de Vries a few minutes.
In the 68th, more handbags as ex-Phoenix defensive midfielder Albert Riera recklessly slide-tackled Barbero as Conger attempted to reach for a card in his pocket before settling for a wagging finger at the Spaniard.
A minute later, one could have been excused for thinking Barbero had a target on his back when it was Darren White's turn to bring down the Argentine but Conger didn't see yellow despite the heckling.
The parochial fans were on their feet in the 72nd minute when centreback Martin Canales Ramos provided the scaffolding to move the ball to Kilkolly who relayed the pass to under-the-radar striker Sam Mason-Smith who on the turn beat captain/centreback Mario Bilen inside the box to leave keeper Goni grasping at thin air for a 1-1 equaliser.
City pivot Emiliano Tade showed his class in the 83rd minute when he had the Bay United defence in sixes and sevens 10m outside the left upright but his deft placement zipped past the right upright.
Substitute Harrison Moss-Edge missed another chance inside the box in the 87th minute but it was two minutes later that the crowd went wild.
A misdirected back pass towards their own goalmouth saw Bilen shadow the ball as Mason-Smith stayed on his heels but the centreback lost his footing and the Bay striker pounced on the ball.
Mason-Smith's lob-wedge shot, with an advancing Goni, must have felt like a slow-motion nightmare to Auckland coach Ramon Tribulietx and his men on the bench as the hosts shot to 2-1 lead.
Tribulietx gave his skipper a mouthful before the restart as the defender remonstrated with the referee for a foul.
The final whistle sent the Bay United faithful into whistles and cheers not heard at the park in summer for a long time.
