KEY POINTS:
Around 5.55pm today the players from one of three teams ought to be able to celebrate winning the New Zealand Football Championships minor premiership and with it a ticket to next summer's Oceania Nations League.
But the chance of that happening now is, at best, a long shot.
The last round of matches had been scheduled for a simultaneous 4pm kickoff to prevent collusion and ensure the winner would be known at the final whistle.
But New Zealand Soccer yesterday agreed to Auckland City's request that the long-running dispute over points they had docked for fielding an ineligible player 19 weeks ago can go back to the NZS appeals committee for further consideration.
With that hanging over the heads of the players from Waitakere United, YoungHeart Manawatu and Auckland City, any celebrations will, at best, be muted.
Auckland City chairman Ivan Vuksich declined to comment. Waitakere's Rex Dawkins said: "For something like this to go on for nearly 20 weeks is disgraceful. It is unfair on our franchise, especially as we are not involved in the appeal. Psychologically it has been hard on our players."
The dispute arose when Auckland City were deemed to have played an ineligible player in their 1-0 away win over Waitakere.
The points were subsequently awarded to Waitakere, who have led the NZFC since.
After City were turned down by the appeals committee, they appealed to the Council for Arbitration for Sport but it declined jurisdiction, referring the matter back to the club, which went back to the national body.
Unless the matter is resolved in the next few days (and Waitakere could appeal if the decision goes against New Zealand Soccer) there will be no time to accommodate next weekend's preliminary final between the second and third-placed teams after today's round and the grand final planned for March 24.
Today Waitakere (44pts +16 goal difference) are at home to Otago United. Manawatu (42 +27) are away to Canterbury and Auckland City (39 +19) are away to Team Wellington.
If the big three win and if the appeal is again turned down, positions would stay the same and Waitakere, for the first time, be declared winners.
