With an ounce more luck Southern could have pulled off one of the upsets of the national under-21 women's tournament.
The home side fell 2-1 to the highly rated Midlands team but it could have all been so different.
Southern led 1-0 after the opening 35 minutes and appeared to have added a second goal 10 minutes into the second spell.
A Midlands defender accidentally deflected the ball into the back of the net following a firmly struck penalty corner.
Celebrations turned to confusion moments later when the umpires disallowed the goal, ruling the ball had been struck from outside the circle.
It was the turning point in the match.
Southern had basically been living off scraps but its possession dried up further as the tournament's leading team launched assault after assault.
Midlands' Alia Jaques was a menace every time she touched the ball.
She threaded her way around countless defenders and it seemed only a matter of time before she scored.
When she did nab the equaliser it was just a simple tap in from a metre out.
Southern's keeper Tessa Gregory-Hunt had padded away a penalty corner but the ball fell to Jaques, who will probably never again score an easier goal.
The complexion of the game had already changed but Midland's determination only grew.
In search of the winner, it swept the length of the field in a lovely fluid move.
Southern scrambled but with just three minutes remaining Arnica Palmer ramped in the winner.
The ball was smacked into Southern's circle and Palmer used her stick to deflect it into the goal.
Southern midfielder Maddi McLean tried to salvage the game with a thrilling run up the right flank.
She rounded a defender and was then on hand for a back pass.
She dribbled her way into the circle and forced a penalty corner. But there were no more twists left in the game.
Midlands goalie Hazel Burroughs padded away the penalty corner.
North Harbour smashed Capital 6-0 in the afternoon game and will play Midlands in the final today.
Auckland beat Central 3-1 in the other women's under-21 fixture played yesterday.
The two teams will meet in the play-off for third and fourth, while Southern will play Canterbury in the play-off for fifth and sixth.
In the men's under-21 tournament, Southern had to endure its fourth shoot-out, which it lost 5-4.
It had led Midlands 3-1 during regulation time but the visitors nabbed two goals in the last 15 minutes to force the shoot-out.
The two teams will meet in the play-off for third and fourth today.
In a prelude of the final, North Harbour beat Canterbury 3-2, while in the other game Central prevailed 5-3 in a high-scoring game against Auckland.
