Otago drew 1-1 with Manawatu on Saturday, meaning it had to wait until yesterday to see if its slender remaining chance of reaching the play-offs was a possibility.
Unfortunately, Wellington beat Canterbury 2-1, clinching a play-off spot for the winner and also giving Canterbury a place.
Both Canterbury and Otago finished on 18 points, but Canterbury had a much better goal difference.
At Carisbrook on Saturday, the final whistle saw two frustrated coaches gritting their teeth as Otago United and Manawatu drew.
The keen race to earn a place in the NZFC play-offs produced a predictably competitive match in blustery windy conditions, but was not what either coach wanted.
Otago coach Malcolm Fleming watched his side take a whirlwind lead in the 10th minute, when Stu Kelly darted through the Manawatu defence to stab the ball past keeper Ross Nicholson.
But then Otago allowed Manawatu back into the game and conceded the crucial equaliser.
"We let ourselves down," Fleming said.
"After being third on the table for six or eight weeks, we didn't do ourselves justice. Now the season is over."
Given time, Fleming will lick his wounds and possibly remember there were many good aspects to his first season as Otago boss.
Expectations under his leadership went from aiming at respectable performances, to concentrating on a top-four finish, and at one stage, diehard fans were even dreaming of the O-League.
But football is a tough game at any level, and the fans can now only look back and grimace at matches that should have been won, and those lost competition points that did irreparable damage.
Manawatu coach Bob Sova was also frustrated on Saturday.
"I reckon, apart from that first quarter of an hour, we had more possession, made more chances, and should have won the game," Sova said.
Takayuki Omi, back from injury, scored the equaliser when Otago fatally hesitated and the tiny striker zipped in to intercept a pass-back and calmly stroked the ball in from a narrow angle.
Both sides had alternating periods of ascendancy.
Lanky Campbell Banks led the Manawatu attack well, and Omi and similar-sized mate Pablo Moya showed effective stop-start pace.
Former Otago player Colin Falvey looked keen to damage his old team when he launched one powerful header from a corner, and in open play, the Irishman made a couple of penetrating runs forward.
Otago player of the year Tim Horner turned on a similar top performance, well backed by Tom Sadd, and there were flowing Otago moves that promised more than they achieved.
Ryan Faichnie found acres of space out wide, Dave Dugdale showed stamina and skill as front receiver, and the usual suspects poured forward.
Tristan Prattley delivered crosses and launched shots, and bandit Kelly regularly robbed the ball from Manawatu and set up attacks.
Andy Coburn also knocked passes around, and Nathan Knox got into good positions.
But for both sides, it was the final pass or strike at goal that went astray, and while Otago mounted a last desperate spell of pressure before the final whistle that might have won the game, it was not to be.
Earlier at Carisbrook, Wellington Youth beat the Otago Youth team 2-0.
Horner was named both player of the year and players' player at the Otago awards function on Saturday.
Goalkeeper James Waggett was voted young player of the year.
