Devon Homes Wanganui Athletic fell to Team Taranaki 1-0 through a controversial penalty decision in a high-tempered Lotto Federation League Cup final at Wembley Park on Saturday.
It was picked to be a fiery affair and the playoff delivered just that as Athletic looked to make it a three-peat of victories over rivals Team Taranaki.
With both teams keen to take away the cup and neither team wanting to let the other have the final bragging rights of the season, the match exploded with intensity right from the first whistle.
There was plenty of niggle around the park, as players from both teams sized each other up and looked to find a weakness to exploit.
It appeared referee Matt Conger wasn't keen on talking to players and instead wanted to let his cards do the talking.
Conger played a big part in the match, with his officiating often turning Wembley Park into what sounded like a Brazilian carnival parade.
The pea in his whistle got a good workout for 90 minutes as he battled to maintain fluidity and composure between the teams.
Conger booked James Oxtoby in the third minute after he adjudged Oxtoby's first challenge to be worthy of a yellow card.
Anthony Bell was next to draw his ire, after a clumsy challenge resulted in what would be his first yellow card for the day, and he then again drew Conger's attention just 10 minutes before the halftime whistle, receiving his second yellow, and subsequently his marching orders.
Both teams were poking and prodding at each other, looking to find a hole to exploit as they were surprisingly locked at 0-0 going into the break.
The second half was as intense as the first, with both teams probing for chinks.
Taranaki were unable to take a clear advantage of Athletic, despite being a man down, as the Reds foiled their attacks with desperate defending and often battered the Taranaki defence with counter-attacks.
Athletic showed plenty of heart as the time wore on, as they demanded a lot more from each other for the 55 minutes they were understrength.
But the cost of Bell's departure soon grew within the Athletic side, as they struggled to control their emotions over feelings they were being hard done by, and the bickering between those in red gradually grew.
It was Oxtoby, whose passion is not so much worn on his sleeve as it is flown from a flagpole, who conceded a penalty in the dying minutes through what looked like an innocuous challenge, giving Taranaki the chance they were looking for.
"I was about one metre away from Oxy's challenge, and despite the opposition not appealing or the player being tackled, the ref gave the penalty," said player-coach Troy Smith on the moment the cup slipped from Athletic's grasp.
"It was nothing of the sort."
It appeared the assistant referee spoke to Conger to discuss his awarding of the penalty, but the official obviously felt he had made the right call, and stuck to his original decision.
Tim Czerwonka, who got a start for the match as usual custodian Nick Hayward rested his injury, was sent the wrong way from the ensuing penalty attempt and Taranaki went a goal up with just 10 minutes remaining.
Athletic battled for the final minutes, but it appeared their emotions were getting the better of them, as they repeatedly conceded free kicks in the middle of the park and couldn't build plays to release Josh Smith in on goal.
"Ten men for 55 minutes is a challenge for any team, but despite that fact, I believe we showed character as we continued to battle for every ball and competed right up until the final whistle," Smith reflected after the match.
"We do feel cheated, but I wouldn't say we were beaten by a better team on the day."
While the loss to Taranaki will sting their pride, the Reds must now refocus on the prize they wrested from Taranaki just a few weeks ago.
September 6 is D-Day, as they look to earn themselves a berth in the Central League for 2015.
That will be the first match of a home and away series against the top team from the Capital Football League, which currently looks to be the powerhouse club Stop Out.