Having lost 4-1 last Sunday in Napier, the Chris Greatholder-coached Bay United need a shock result of gargantuan proportions at Fred Taylor Park in the 2pm kick-off to make the final of the national summer league of soccer.
Not only do they need to triumph, they also have to prevail by a four-goal margin.
But then who could possibly tell captain Bill Robertson and his men they can't pack their bags on a flight of fantasy in their last throw of the dice.
After all, it has been a fairytale season for the Magpies who have created history in making the play-offs in the premiership for the first time.
Why not just run out to claim a victory even if Waitakere coach Paul Marshall rests his key players for the final?
Greatholder unravels a likely scenario that'll probably fail to make too many film script writers pull their heads out of their laptops.
``We'll need some sort of belief ...
``We'll score a goal and they'll have a player sent off ... ,'' he says, daring to give himself a licence to daydream.
In fairness to Greatholder, he isn't under any illusions that today's game is anything but a dead rubber.
``It's a very big ask,'' Greatholder says. ``Potentially if [an upset]
happens it's going to be the best day in sporting history and in my life.''
A sense of pragmatism prevails as Greatholder concludes: ``It's going to be extremely tough.''
Either way, Bay United intend to attack in what he feels will be a very special day.
Having lost three times to the premiership champions seeking their record fourth consecutive title this summer, Bay United will have to shrug off the demeanour of boxers who are prone to circling and clinching rather than jabbing because they are too preoccupied with their opponents' knockout counter punch.
``There are still a few ifs after last weekend,'' Greatholder reveals.
Yes, the Bay did have the edge in the first 25 minutes at Park Island but when the visitors took ``complete control'' the hosts simply weren't ``good enough''.
Patches of isolation at Bluewater meant the Bay players didn't have the impetus to go forward.
No doubt, centreback Robertson will have to shore up his defence.
Defender Danny Wilson, who last night returned from England after his wedding, will come into the mix but match fitness is another thing.
Consequently Greatholder revealed late last night Wilson was out and Ross Haviland ushered back on to the bench.
Fane Morgan joins the bench, displacing Angus Kilkolly after a fine summer as the franchise's top scorer in the Youth League.
Five players missed training because of injuries on Thursday night so Greatholder will not be averse to the
idea of taking a few Bay United Youth players following their curtainraiser game at 11am today.
It's always fruitful to listen to the opposition's perspective so enter Marshall who believes last Sunday at Bluewater
Stadium the sides were even for the first 20 minutes.
``We then gained a little more confidence but I thought as far as games go we were a little better in patches than we were here a couple of weeks ago,'' he says of the round-robin game when Waitakere won 3-0.
While nothing is impossible in sport, the former Auckland City premiership-winning coach paid Bay the ritualistic respect but didn't concede they were anticipating a final against the Blues in a fortnight.
Golden boot striker Roy Krishna has been ``genuinely unlucky'', Marshall reckons, in not securing a contract with
Wellington Phoenix.
``Why he wasn't picked up by Phoenix, in my opinion, is madness.
``But there's only one person in charge of making those decisions at the time and that's
the head coach [ex-coach now Ricki Herbert] so who knows what the new coach will do so
Roy might find himself opportunities there or somewhere else,'' he says of the classy Fijian international who is keeping his hopes alive to ply his trade in Major Soccer League in the United States or Ukraine this winter
should his agent secure a contract.
While the O-League club will miss Krishna's services, Marshall says they'll do everything to help him secure his future and, by the same token, to ensure the club is well catered for, too.
