Here's a prediction. Tauranga City United won't be getting promoted out of the Northern League's second division, not this season at least.
It'll hardly go down as the boldest prophecy this year. Nor will it come as a huge surprise to the couple of hundred spectators who fronted at Mt Maunganui's Links Ave yesterday.
But if Tauranga City were going to reignite their title hopes after a mid-season slump, a win over league leaders Hibiscus Coast at home would have been a decent time to start.
Instead they engaged in a 90-minute running battle with referee Mark Ball - one they were never going to win - and predictably ended the game a man short after midfielder Josh Nelson was sent off in the first half, blowing a royal chance to stay on the pace with a 1-0 loss.
Hibiscus Coast were tidy and had a yard more pace up front, but they weren't world beaters.
Tauranga created as many, if not more, shots on goal as their opposition.
They just didn't nail any and are still eight points off the second promotion spot currently occupied by North Shore and Western Springs with eight games left.
The win puts Hibiscus Coast seven points clear of the chasing pack, advancing ominously towards the title.
Getting up a division isn't impossible but it's now looking about as likely as Wayne Rooney winning UK Haircut of the Year, with Tauranga having seemingly left their best football back in the first round of games.
Their problems don't stop there, with some glaring personnel issues to address if they are to have anything to play for in the next two months.
Nelson, a game back from suspension for picking up five yellow cards in the first 12 rounds, will be missing again for this weekend's away trip to lowly Onehunga-Mangere United courtesy of yesterday's dismissal.
Defender Nathan Farey has been overseas, midfielder Isaac Bright was away yesterday, Graham Craven is back from injury but doesn't look 100 per cent and a couple of the side are heading away on holiday.
Former player/coach Ian Stringfellow, Tauranga's director of coaching across all senior grades, has been AWOL for several weeks and apparently won't be sighted again this season.
A win yesterday and Tauranga could have clawed their way back into the promotion mix, especially with Western Springs losing 2-0 at bottom-placed Papakura City and Mangere United tipped over by Onehunga-Mangere.
They had their chances, the best of them coming in the second half when striker Jindrich Hahn's shot from an acute angle was tipped over the crossbar by Coast 'keeper Hamish Harper.
Dan Bungard scored the only goal when he slipped past Craven midway through the second half and planted the ball past an advancing Dale Schischka.
Nelson's dismissal late in the first half meant Tauranga's task only got harder. Nelson comes in for some treatment from opposition teams who delight in dishing it out to the jinking midfielder.
Hibiscus Coast's Leo Neil was booked for hacking him down but when Nelson was upended again minutes later and Fox oddly waved 'play on', he earned a gobful from the Tauranga player.
Nelson was booked but still had a point to prove.
It was only going to end one way, and less than 90 seconds later he was sent for an early shower for a lunging, sprigs-up tackle on Coast defender Alex Prior.
It wasn't vicious, just lacking in tangible brainpower. A bit like the way Tauranga's season is heading really.
Northern League second division:
Mangere Utd 1 (S Ali) Onehunga Mangere Utd 2 (R Winfield, T Knight). HT: 0-1.
Waiuku 2 (A Millynn, C Ralph) North Shore Utd 5 (J Gray 3, M Evitt, J Shields). HT: 0-3.
Matamata Swifts 0 Warkworth 0. HT: 0-0.
Western Springs 0 Papakura City 2 (C Mackay 2). HT: 0-1.
Manukau City 0 Fencibles Utd 1 (Ad Duda). HT: 0-1.
Tauranga City United 0 Hibiscus Coast 1 (D Bungard) HT: 0-0