Waikato-Bay of Plenty won 3-2, but the crowd was on its feet as FootballSouth scored twice in the last three minutes to come back from 3-0 down.
FootballSouth looked capable of extending last week's winning form as the match started, but soon the gaps left by injured Chelsea Whittaker and Kushla Glover started to show.
Waikato-Bay of Plenty coach Simon Mead had done his homework on his return to the city of his university days. Withdrawing his defensive line, his team absorbed in numbers to nullify the best Otago could manage.
On the counterattack, Meads' side had dangerous pace and finishing power. It took 12 minutes for Tessa Leong to score the first of her two goals against an undermanned FootballSouth defence.
The score might have been worse but for a top match by goalkeeper Tessa Nicol, who blunted several breaks by the visitors.
Sam Muirhead went close with powerful shooting, and in phases Elise Mamanu-Gray entertained with some classy runs, a good example of which led to FootballSouth's opening goal when she cut in from the left wing, passed the ball back to the edge of the box, and Maddison Clark hammered in a morale-boosting goal with minutes to go.
In the closing minutes, Muirhead took the penalty awarded by referee Edward Cook, but the net had hardly stopped quivering before the final whistle sounded.
''We came for three points and a clean sheet, and almost achieved that,'' Mead said.
''We stuck to our game plan for 85 minutes, and I am happy with the result.''
Mead reserved special praise for centreback Kay Carleton and Tess Leong, who scored twice.
FootballSouth coach David Martin-Chambers was disappointed with the result.
''We started well, knocking the ball around and making chances, but they caught us on the break,'' Martin-Chambers said.
''There was some good quality passing, but then we gave the ball away in bad positions, and were punished for it.''
