Tauranga City United have conceded another last-gasp heartbreaker to virtually seal their fate and another season in the Northern League's second division next season.
A couple of points behind second-placed Fencibles United heading into Saturday's home clash with lowly Warkworth, City United were almost in miracle country with just five games
left in the season.
Ninety minutes after kickoff and that "almost" became "definitely" after the promotion hopefuls were shocked 2-1 by the northerners.
Despite hammering the Warkworth goal, Tauranga slumped to defeat when they could least afford it and now sit five points behind Fencibles with four games left.
Michael O'Flaherty netted for Warkworth in the sixth minute but Tauranga went into the break level after Joel Wakelin equalised just before halftime.
Just as happened in the previous week's draw with Mt Albert Ponsonby, cracks opened at the back and Daniel Notley scored the winner six minutes from time to put more than a big dent in Tauranga's promotion prospects, although Notley's winner had more than a touch of the freakish about it as it went straight in from a corner kick.
Mt Albert-Ponsonby clinched promotion to division one with a comfortable 3-0 derby win over Western Springs.
Fencibles will almost certainly now be joining them after a come-from-behind 3-2 defeat of Papakura City.
Hibiscus Coast confirmed Cambridge's drop from the Northern League back into Federation football with a 3-0 win, while Ngaruawahia are closing quickly on Tauranga, now just a point behind after downing North Shore - Tauranga's next opponents on Sunday - 3-0.
Tauranga skipper Jordan Culpepper said it was frustrating to come away with nothing having made all of the running again.
"We had all the ball, all the territory and all the possession, but it doesn't count for much if you don't create enough clear-cut chances to score goals," he said.
"It's annoying because they probably had the ball once or twice in our box and managed to score twice. It's another poor result at home that's put us right in it as far as getting promoted goes."
Tauranga have one more home game in two weeks against Cambridge, with North Shore, Papakura and Mangere away, with Fencibles now playing two away games against Waiuku and Mangere before hosting Hibiscus Coast and Ngaruawahia.
