In the tightest finish to the New Zealand Football Championship since it began, there are five clubs scrambling for places in the play-offs this weekend.
Otago United can only watch with some chagrin from its distant second-bottom slot, but Terry Phelan's team could still be regarded as a kingmaker in its away match with Hawkes Bay tomorrow.
Since Waitakere is assured of a play-off slot, there are three places left and Hawkes Bay will be bursting to grab maximum points from Otago and improve its goal tally.
The Bay is still in the hunt, along with Auckland City, YoungHeart Manawatu, Team Wellington, and Waikato FC, with the teams separated by the slimmest of goal differences.
Coach Jonathan Gould's team could finish second, or as low as fifth, but the former Celtic keeper will be gnawing fingernails over Bay's abysmal home record of one win out of six.
Otago coach Terry Phelan would love to put one over his old Wimbledon manager, Bobby Gould, who is the Bay assistant coach, but with a record of three wins out of 13 matches, Otago is once again rated as an outsider.
Suspensions will keep Tom Jackson and Andy Coburn side-lined after they received red cards last week, and Coburn's punishment will stretch into next season, as he accrued six yellow cards in previous games.
Centreback Colin Falvey is still struggling with injury, but "If I can be there I will", said the Otago captain, who wants to play in this last NZFC match of 2009.
Late changes to travel arrangements have also not helped Otago.
The team will fly out today, stay overnight in Wellington then fly to Napier tomorrow for the game.
In the squad for tomorrow's game are a group of Otago youngsters - Tristan Prattley, Tom Connor, Morgan Day, Seamus Ryder and Callum Flaws - who have benefited from NZFC experience this season.