Arrowtown was expected to rebound from its heartbreaking White Horse Trophy loss to Wakatipu in style to easily account for Maniototo, whose only points had come from a win by default.
Nothing seemed off that script when Arrowtown led 31-17 with just over 15 minutes to play at Jack Reid Park.
Against Wakatipu though, Arrowtown had run out of puff in the final 15 minutes, and the same thing happened again on Saturday.
Maniototo scored two converted tries and a penalty goal to draw level at 31-31. But that was not the finish.
With time up, the Maggots - as Maniototo are affectionately known - drove off a lineout, won a penalty and watched with glee as Herb Adam slotted the winning goal from 30m, taking so long the referee gave him a hurry-up message.
The defeat drops Arrowtown to third-equal with Cromwell Goats, behind Upper Clutha and Wakatipu.
Tries were two-a-penny at Anderson Park in Cromwell, where the Goats defeated their clubmates, the Cavaliers, 69-24.
The Cavaliers were competitive for the first half-hour, at the end of which they trailed only 26-19.
But two converted tries in quick succession, one to blindside flanker Daniel Hurring, giving him a hat-trick for the half, had the Goats ahead 38-19 at the spell.
The Cavaliers' defence was fragile and they spent most of the second half in reverse.
There was a delightful international flavour to the afternoon, with Frenchman Theo Guillaume scoring a try for the Goats and Namibian Jacques Niewenhuis touching down for the Cavaliers.
Guillaume's French buddy Theo Frican added two conversions for the Cavaliers.
At 39, Niewenhuis is one of the oldest premier club players going around.
He has played almost 50 tests for Namibia, as well as representing the Cheetahs in South Africa's Currie Cup and the Aurillac club in France.
He represented Namibia as a No8 at the 2007 World Cup in France and the 2011 version in New Zealand, the highlight being his rugby-minnow nation holding Ireland to 32-17 in 2007.
He fell in love with New Zealand in 2011, saying ``I knew I had to come here''.
He now lives in Cromwell with his wife and two sons.
Niewenhuis expected to be starting on the bench on Saturday, but a last-minute reshuffle saw him start at five and score a try.
Guillaume (22) and Frican (24) herald from the small town of Portet-sur-Garonne near Toulouse, and came to New Zealand - on the recommendation of a friend - on working visas in January to pick cherries.
They met the president of the Cromwell club, who convinced them to stay on and play rugby.
They are flatting together and will remain honorary Kiwis for as long as their visas allow.
In Saturday's other game, Upper Clutha went on a try-scoring spree to defeat Alexandra 57-7 at Molyneux Park .
All the Central Otago players have next weekend off, it being duck-shooting time.
- Bob Howitt