With crowds of supporters filling the Roly Taylor grandstand and lining the sidelines of the main ground, the feature match between the City Wanderers and City Hammers promised to be an intense battle between teams of clubmates each looking for the right to claim the prestigious Charity Cup, first contested in 1913, as their own.
For the casual onlooker reflecting on the season to try to gauge the result, the fixture should have easily been the Wanderers' at the end of regular time but, as with many cup football matches, the true tale of what occurred on the number one pitch was anything but a reflection of what had occurred through the season.
The Wanderers came out strong, and found the back of the net twice in the first stanza of the match, piling the pressure on the Hammers, and setting the scene for what could have easily been seen as the script being played out as expected. However the Hammers had different ideas and were far from ready to lay down and let the Wanderers dance over them during the second spell.
The Hammers came out from the break like a team possessed and returned their own salvo, mounting an amazing comeback and pegging back the two-goal deficit to bring the scores level, shaking the Wanderers and sending the crowds wild as they realised this match was far from another run of the mill fixture.
As time wound down, despite the best efforts of both sides, neither could break through to claim the crucial deciding goal before the final whistle sounded, meaning the match would be required to go to extra time.
With both sides dreading the thought of penalties at the end of extra time should neither be able to take the ascendancy during the extra half an hour of play, both sides looked to claim the victory in the allotted time.
Ultimately it was the Hammers' tired bodies that started to show cracks during extra time, allowing the Wanderers to take the initiative and exploit the leaden legs of their opponents, pulling away in the dying throes of the game to finish strong 6-2 victors at the final whistle, ensuring their name was engraved on the historic trophy for the 2016 instalment.
Both sides will have been proud of how they represented not only their clubs, but Wanganui football for those spectators who had come to witness what was quoted as being one of the best games of football seen on Wembley's main ground for the entire season.
With the season now completed, apart from the Plate final between the Marist Celtic and Bhoys teams to be held this weekend, all local clubs will now take a few moments to reflect upon their seasons.
They will look ahead to 2017 with plans and aspirations for travelling teams, growth in all areas of the game from junior to senior, and how they all collectively can contribute to continuing the rise of the beautiful game at one of New Zealand's most beautiful football parks, while sharing their passion with the wider community.
It's sure to be an exciting season in the making. Stay tuned.