Hawke's Bay's top badminton side ended their national division three campaign with two losses in Papakura.
The TOLL-sponsored Bay team lost 21-19 on a sets countback against Counties-Manukau, after matches were drawn 8-all, and 12-4 to Wanganui.
Although both opposing teams were higher than the Bay on the points table,
coach Kyle Tostevin had been confident of upsets against them at the weekend.
Against Counties-Manukau, only No2 woman Juneer Pontana and top man Thomas Ellis won their singles, so that the Bay started doubles play with a 6-2 deficit. The Bay won two of the four doubles and almost had a third as Ellis and Hastings Boys' High player Scott Ormond had two match points before losing a three-set battle.
Trailing 8-4, the Bay needed to win all of the mixed doubles matches to force a countback, and that was achieved. The winning combinations were Angus Crawford and Nykayla Johnson, Jimmy Bass and Pontana, Phet Pontana and Kelly Stern, and Ellis and Debbie Williams.
