Two late Auckland City goals and the victory it brought has thrown the New Zealand Football Championship into chaos and left the end-of-season grand final and play-off in jeopardy.
Once Waitakere United had seen off Otago United 8-0 at Trusts Stadium on Saturday, attention turned to City's awaygame with Team Wellington - a team they had thumped 6-2 three days earlier. But on Saturday they were trailing 2-1 in a game which had started 15 minutes later than the scheduled kick-off.
Eventually the news filtered through that goals to Jason Hayne and Luis del Monte in the 91st and 92nd minutes had won City an unlikely 3-2 victory and thrown them a lifeline in their ongoing battle with New Zealand Soccer.
Today the action will switch from the playing field to offices around the city as Auckland seek to have their appeal reopened in the hope of having Waitakere stripped of the title they were sure they had won on Saturday.
If positions remain unchanged - and that would follow if the NZS appeals committee rules they will not rehear the case - Waitakere will host the scheduled March 24 final at North Harbour Stadium against the winner of Saturday's scheduled preliminary final between YoungHeart Manawatu and Auckland City in Palmerston North.
If the appeals committee does agree to rehear the case, there is virtually no chance of the preliminary match this weekend and even less chance of the grand final anytime soon.
If City get the points back, they would finish second behind Manawatu who would host the final. City would then have home advantage over Waitakere in the preliminary final.
While Waitakere have not been involved in the legal wrangle thus far, they have now been called in as an interested party and will need to be given time to prepare submissions if the appeals committee does rule in City's favour.
New Zealand Soccer declined comment but are aware that there is the added complication of O-League matches involving Waitakere and City which could push the final out until after Easter.
It is a sorry situation that sees a 21-week season end in such a mess especially when it appears all avenues have already been exhausted.
It is a further indictment that what was a record-breaking win by Waitakere has been overshadowed in such a manner.
