The Stags are desperately searching for their first win in the Mitre 10 Cup since 2016.
And for a period it seemed as though the faithful might witness the breakthrough win for which they have been waiting so patiently.
It was not to be. North Harbour won the fixture 33-12 in Invercargill yesterday.
But the home side had opportunities. The game was still in the balance when midfielder Ray Nu'u burst through. Flanker Matt James carried the ball on and got very close to the line.
North Harbour was stretched. The Stags swung it quickly to the right but Scott Eade's pass was picked off by Matt Duffie.
He tore off upfield and linked up with Harrison Groundwater. He found Matt McGahan who in turn found Bryn Hall, who scored.
It was a try to be admired and seemed like a turning point.
But Southland rallied. Eade made amends with a fine try of his own.
The Stags had lost prop Joe Walsh, who was yellow-carded for pulling down a maul.
But in his absence the team stepped up and battered away at the North Harbour line.
Southland had all the momentum and was right in the contest at 19-12 down.
But heartbreak was near. Fullback Shaun Stevenson received the ball 6m from his own line and had the audacity to run it out.
And he just kept going all the way to the halfway line before linking up with the supporting cast. Groundwater finished off a wonderful try.
The score was level 7-7 at the break. North Harbour had enjoyed most of the ball and had dominated territory.
But Southland scrambled well and North Harbour had the habit of letting the pressure valve off with handling errors or clumsy penalties.
Southland fullback Josh Moorby had two golden opportunities to get on the scoresheet at either end of the half.
He toed the ball forward a little too far to squander the first chance and could not gather a lovely chip kick from Eade in the final moments of the opening stanza.
Marty McKenzie scored the opening points. He skipped through a tackle and a quick one-two with a support player got him in the clear once again and he dotted down.
North Harbour responded with a move from a 5m scrum. Midfielder James Little went over.
In other games, Tasman pumped Manawatu 64-3 in Blenheim, Auckland edged Bay of Plenty 19-13 at Eden Park, Waikato pipped Counties Manukau 31-26 at Pukekohe and Taranaki was too strong for Northland, winning 52-19 in New Plymouth.
Mitre 10 Cup
The scores
North Harbour 33
James Little, Asaeli Tikoirotuma, Bryn Hall,
Harrison Groundwater, Matt Duffie tries:
Matt McGahan 4 con
Southland 12
Marty McKenzie, Scott Eade tries:
McKenzie con
Halftime: 7-7