The Western Force's top-four hopes are all but over after suffering a heartbreaking 28-27 last-second Super 14 loss to the Hurricanes at Subiaco Oval on Friday night.

The Force surged to a 27-13 lead in the 43rd minute courtesy of a double from winger Nick Cummins and tries to Ryan Cross and Scott Staniforth.

But the Hurricanes hit back with a vengeance in the final 20 minutes, with a penalty from flyhalf Willie Ripia and a 77th-minute try from David Smith closing the gap to four points.

And Hurricanes fullback Cory Jane sunk the hearts of the 20,737 crowd when he stepped inside Nathan Sharpe and shook off Drew Mitchell to touch down in the corner after the full-time siren.

The loss leaves the Force five points adrift of the top four, a gap that will widen ahead of next week's clash with NSW in Sydney.

The Hurricanes surged into fourth spot courtesy of their fifth win of the season.

The temperature was still hovering above 29C when the game kicked off at 5.40pm local time and it was the Hurricanes who opened the scoring through Ripia's fifth-minute penalty.

Sharpe was denied a try in the 19th minute when video referee Julian Pritchard deemed the Force skipper had knocked on as he rolled over the tryline but the home side were soon on the board through Cummins, who finished off a brilliant set-piece move from the scrum.

A second Ripia penalty closed the margin to 7-6 in the 29th minute but a try to Staniforth in the 30th minute and Cummins' second in the 36th minute saw the Force skip away to a 17-6 lead.

But a knock-on from Force flanker David Pocock at the restart gave the Hurricanes great field position, with a break from centre Ma'a Nonu setting up Zac Guildford for the visitors' first on the stroke of half-time.

The first half had seen four tries scored but there was more drama to come, with Hurricanes prop Neemia Tialata sin-binned after the half-time hooter for holding back support runner Junior Pelesasa just as Mitchell made a breaking run for the line.

Matt Giteau's penalty made it 20-13 at the interval and just three minutes after the break the Force had their four-try bonus point when Cross slipped through a sleeping Hurricanes defence, with Giteau's conversion making it 27-13.

The Hurricanes finally clicked into gear but it appeared the Force had done enough, still leading 27-16 with just four minutes remaining.

But tries to Smith and Jane brought the Force's top-four hopes crashing to earth, with the two bonus points little consolation to the home side.

"Sometimes you don't have a choice of how to lose," Force coach John Mitchell said after the match.

"I guess it hurts when it goes from a five-pointer to a two-pointer, but in saying that you've got to go the full 80 and we probably had to sustain too much pressure there towards the end.

"It was a very good effort, we were making good inroads, we were getting good, quick ball and guys were finishing.

"We just couldn't establish enough time in their front 50 in the second half.

"We just couldn't control possession in the latter stages of the game.

"It's just unfortunate the game had to finish in those circumstances.

"That's the tough realities of sport, you have to accept adversity in certain situations.

"I guess it will test the character of the group."

Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper was over the moon with the win.

"They make me proud really, that's why I coach them," Cooper said.

"I thought the first half was all the Force, they beat us out wide, they pushed us too much.

"We made some adjustments in the second half and I was proud with the way we came back and the decision-making from the leaders."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP