They cheered every tackle at one end and roared every half-chance at the other, clapping in encouragement when their team fell behind and exploding with excitement when Angel Berlanga found the equaliser.
They watched on, wearing an even split of Auckland City kit and business attire, with some clearly counting on a late start to their work day. All were equally passionate, especially following the Auckland goal, giving the rank of television cameras the shot they had been waiting for.
If the supporters were unaccustomed to being filmed, they were far from alone. Some of the players they were watching would, before this most electrifying of weeks, have also been unfamiliar with knocking about a ball in front of a worldwide television audience.
A glance around the colourful clubrooms revealed as much. There was the whiteboard, near the bar, promoting a game against Team Wellington on November 29, City's final fixture before leaving the country, a game that resulted in a 4-0 defeat.
And among pennants for teams like Wanganui FA and Amicale FC on Vanuatu hung one for European Champions Real Madrid, the Goliath these Davids would have faced in the final had yesterday's match produced a more pleasing result.
As it was, proud applause, instead of visible disappointment, greeted the final blow of the whistle, with the majority of the crowd content to have witnessed the fairytale run, even if the clock had finally struck midnight.
