Otago United finished the New Zealand Football Championship with a flourish, entertaining spectators at the Caledonian Ground with a final adrenaline-gushing spectacle.
But for the thickness of a coat of paint, Andy Coburn's driven volley which rebounded off Waitakere's goalpost could have been a morale-boosting winner.
Yet even the eventual 2-2 draw was an inspired effort against the Oceania and NZFC champion, which had gone eight matches without defeat.
Add to the equation an Otago reserve bench of callow youngsters such as Seamus Ryder and James Watson, while on the field Morgan Day and Haydon Gunn were equally smooth cheeked.
Compare them to Waitakere's reserve Benjamin Totori who came on with 30min to go. Totori is a senior Solomon Islands international striker in the top goalscorers.
Otago's paper-thin squad had the thickness of tissue last week as Mike Eisenhut and Nick Dale were injured and Andy Pickering was suspended.
Yet the NZFC squad usually starts with more than 20 players, and a National Youth League squad as back up. Where were they on Sunday?
Many factors are blamed for player defections. Is the training too tough? Is coach Terry Phelan too volatile? Should we really be trying to play football in the summer when many other options are available?
Winter league coaches will claim that their training is just as hard. Phelan's passion for the game can generate criticism that can be hurtful to young players, but there are equally volatile coaches among visiting national league sides.
Summer football has its critics, and one factor difficult to surmount is that when you get dropped in winter, you drop down and still get a game.
The NZFC asks fringe players to train just as hard as first team regulars, but there is no game to enjoy if you miss the cut. Possibly that is why many return to cricket and golf in the summer.
The question of imports is another fascinating can of worms. They arrive late and leave early. One wonders if there is more than a touch of holiday about their sojourn in Otago.
Ideally, they should inject top skills into a side, but assessing the performance of imports is difficult from a distance, and even viewing videos to ascertain quality is not without pitfalls.
It's a long time since a Steve Wooddin, Dave Gibson, Alan Wright, Pat Berry or Jimmy Wilson were attracted to Dunedin. It's worth noting that all those players were tradesmen who gave several years' service.
Perhaps the arrival of Colin Falvey has opened some eyes at Otago United. The Irishman another tradesman - looks a very good player and intends to stay awhile. So that avenue still exists for importing players.
Delusions of contacting the Professional Players Association in England only produce worn-out, expensive professionals, who in most cases have lost their appetite for battle.
Even coach Terry Phelan has come round to realising that most of Otago's imports - Sam Hill (Gordon Hill's son), keeper Warren Aburn, Alaskan Cam Richardson, Albanian international Uliks Kotri, Franco Caruso, and Chad Severs - were all disappointing and a waste of money.
He is now looking for continuity, instead of building a new team each year.
‘‘We need to get the right mix of imports who will stay for a year or two, plus the local lads who want to play at top level,'' he said.
‘‘Before I leave in mid May, I will be doing the rounds of Winter League club matches hoping to see players that are capable of stepping up a grade. But they must want to make the step up.
‘‘Frankly, it's a worry that many players do not want to play for Otago. Whether it's the Dave Walkers and Blair Scoullars who chose to play for Canterbury last season.
‘‘Or youngsters who should be bursting to make the step up to national league. It seems that they are content to do other things in summer.
‘‘Otago has a smaller population base than northern centres, so we really need a concerted effort by all players who are capable, to step up and give it their best shot.
‘‘It seems that local politics actually has clubs cheering the opposition teams at Carisbrook. That's a sad state of affairs,'' he said.
However unpalatable it may be, other small towns in New Zealand have fought above their weight in the national league. Nelson (population, 42,000) and Palmerston North (75,000) spring to mind, and Hawkes Bay (57,000) has made steady improvement in recent years.
Under chairman Colin Stone, and coaches Jonathan and Bobby Gould, Hawkes Bay has progressed steadily from eighth in 2006 to sixth and is now fourth in this year's NZFC.
Otago United's general manager Marc Chidley admits that radical changes are required for Otago to improve. The worrying statistic of 5 wins in 42 matches during the past two seasons is unacceptable.
‘‘Just like every other business, everyone's performance is reviewed each year, and the United Board of Directors have the power to make changes in staff and the club's overall policy.
‘‘We need better liaison with the rest of the clubs in Otago, and I look forward to their input at our AGM which will be held at Logan Park headquarters on Sunday, April 27 at 11am.
‘‘All clubs are stakeholders in Otago United and we would welcome more involvement. Not just by buying season tickets, the sales of which have been quite disappointing, but by putting forward nominations for United's board of directors.''
The present board consists of chairman Dave Lamont, general manager Chidley, Gerry Sannum, Gary Binnie, Steve Adam, and Malcolm Barnes. Office manager is Barry Van Gorp.