49ers Hold Off Cardinals, 14-10 : NFC: Gelbaugh has chances, but is unable to complete pass for a touchdown in the final minute.

The San Francisco 49ers, who were beaten by Atlanta with a last-second desperation pass two week ago, were not about to let it happen again Sunday.

Three times in the final minute, the 49ers prevented Phoenix Cardinal quarterback Stan Gelbaugh from completing a pass into the end zone and the 49ers came away with a 14-10 victory.

“We felt like it was going to be deja vu from the Atlanta game, but it was a different day and a different outcome,” 49er defensive back Dave Waymer said.

Gelbaugh, most valuable player of the World League of American Football who waited six years to make his first NFL start, got the Cardinals close with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Ernie Jones with 6:07 left.

A Cardinal punt pinned the 49ers (5-6) at their own three-yard line and when the Phoenix defense held, the Cardinals got the ball back at the 49er 41-yard line with 2:13 left.

Gelbaugh, who completed 14 of 26 passes for 156 yards, drove the Cardinals (4-8) to the San Francisco nine before a holding penalty on Tootie Robbins set Phoenix back to the 19.

Gelbaugh tried three consecutive passes into the end zone, but two were overthrown and the final one, a fourth-down pass intended for Ricky Proehl, was tipped by safety Todd Bowles and glanced off Proehl’s helmet.

“I was hoping the quarterback could scramble and give me a chance to get open,” Proehl said. “I was just waiting for the ball to pop up and it never did. It hit me on the head and took off.”

San Francisco ran out the final 20 seconds to send the Cardinals (4-8) to their fourth consecutive loss.

“We just tried to find an open spot in their zone,” Gelbaugh said. “Nobody was open early so I tried to buy some time by rolling out. Then I threw it but it didn’t work.”

Quarterback Steve Bono of the 49ers, a seven-year career backup, made only his second NFL start in a non-strike game.

Bono directed two scoring drives and completed 20 of 35 passes for a career-high 187 yards.

“As long as I improved today, I think it’s good,” said Bono, who is starting in place of injured Steve Young.

“There’s just some little things I need to improve on. I did feel more comfortable. Hopefully, it looked that way.”