Almost everybody at Olympic Park thought Swifts shooter Caitlin Thwaites had scored the winner during the dramatic final seconds of the epic clash against the Steel on Saturday evening.
But the crowd was making so much noise the players had not heard the whistle blow for a stepping violation.
Thwaites' goal was ruled out and the Steel's unbeaten season remained intact.
Only moments earlier the Steel had a chance to win the game.
With the score level at 59 apiece, centre Shannon Francois let a pass slip through her grasp and the Swifts swept on to attack and seemingly slotted the winner.
What an end and what a game. It may well have been a preview of the final with one crucial difference.
If both sides make it to the grand final, it will be the Steel which hosts the match thanks to a near perfect round-robin campaign.
The Otago-Southland team won 11 and drew two games to finish on top of the competition standings.
There has been a lot of talk about how weak the New Zealand conference has been this season but the Steel has been the glaring exception.
It joins the Swifts (2010) and the Firebirds (2011) as the only teams to have gone through the regular season undefeated and can sit back and put its feet up this weekend to see who will join it in the New Zealand conference final in two week's time.
Form suggests the Magicas the most likely opponent.
While the game had a tense finish, the early signs suggested the home side might have the edge. Swifts goal keep Sharni Layton made a statement immediately.
She has been the leading defender in the competition all season and got in front of Jhaniele Fowler-Reid to swat away a pass in the opening minute.
It gave the Steel feeders pause for thought and the Swifts a 3-0 head start.
Francois put a centre pass over the head of a team-mate midway through the period and a contact call on Fowler-Reid saw the lead swell to five goals.
However, a couple of home side errors helped the Steel close the gap.
Layton was at it again early in the second period, grabbing a brace of intercepts to help her side build a five-goal lead.
The Steel's attacking game had been faltering ever so slightly but Fowler-Reid rediscovered her rhythm and her feeders grew in confidence.
Steel defender Jane Watson picked off an intercept late in the quarter with a beautiful piece of anticipation.
A short passing call and a held ball call went against the Swifts and the teams went into halftime locked up at 29-29.
The momentum remained with the Steel for a little longer but a five-goal scoring spree from the Swifts had the sides level pegging again.
A late goal from Fowler-Reid was the only difference between the sides going into the final 15 minutes.
Fowler-Reid was magnificent with 50 goals from 52 attempts and Steel defender Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit impressed with six intercepts.
Layton was a standout for the Swifts and shooter Susan Pettitt created a lot of play and shot well.
●The Mystics beat the Tactix 62-54 in a crucial match on Saturday to more or less clinch the final playoff spot in the New Zealand conference.
The Pulse can draw level with the Mystics on points if it beats the Vixens in Wellington tonight. But the Pulse trails the Mystics on goal percentage and it seems a long shot.
ANZ Championship
The scores
Southern Steel 59
Jhaniele Fowler-Reid 50 from 52, Te Paea Selby-Rickit9/12
NSW Swifts 59
Caitlin Thwaites 29/31, Susan Pettitt 30/32
Quarter scores: 13-16, 29-29 (16-13), 45-44 (16-15), 59-59 (14-15).
