Sydney United captain Velimir Kupresak turned into his own net a ball sent across goal from Goran Lozanovski nine minutes into the second half, for what proved to be the only goal of the game, giving South Melbourne a victory at Bob Jane on Saturday evening.
Lozanovski had been passed the ball wide on the right by Nick Orlic who had joined the attack at a corner which United had failed to clear. Lozanovski feinted past his marker and after taking the ball to the goal-line, hit it low and with menace into the crowded six-yard box where it could have hit, or been hit, by any number of players.
Was it only this time last season this was the fixture which determined whether it was Sydney United or South Melbourne that would earn the Minor Premiership?
This year, by contrast, the contest could have had the feel of a musical recording star's contractual obligation album - necessary to fulfil an arrangement entered into at the season's start - but now being played out with little other than professional pride at stake. However, the Sydney United youngsters' enthusiasm for the game, and South's barest flicker of hope for Finals action meant that neither side had it in mind just to go through the motions.
Although there were but lowly rewards on offer this season, compared to the riches of a previous one, there were playing futures and reputations at stake.
"From our point of view", said South coach Ange Postecoglou after the game, "we can't get much else out of the season, except to try to win as many of our last games as possible."
It would require a miracle beyond serious contemplation were South's season to continue beyond early May, but the mathematicians could not yet discount this as a possibility. Sydney United on the other hand, had likely resigned itself to its unhappy fate before their office staff had taken down last year's Christmas Sydney United on the other hand, had likely resigned itself to its unhappy fate before their office staff had taken down last year's Christmas decorations.
Pickings have been spare for Sydney United this year, and with a mere four wins from their thirty previous games this campaign, and none of them on the road, only their most optimistic of supporters would have believed this was the game to turn things around.
And indeed, the shape of the game was set from the earliest moments.
"We expected a hard game from South Melbourne," said United coach Ivan Petkovic. "But we came here to play soccer. I'm happy with our performance, but a little disappointed too, because I thought we deserved a point.
"I think most people understand our situation," he said. "From last year we lost the whole team and (had) to start with nothing."
For long periods of the contest, it seemed that what was on view was an inter-club training game with South Melbourne supplying the first team equivalent, and the red-shirted Sydney visitors supplying the reserves and third-team opponents.
In these Tuesday night training-ground match-ups, occasionally the reserves battle with sufficient grit to earn a hard-fought win, and even a draw provides at least a week of changing-room boasting. More commonly however, the difference in class is reflected in the result - and the status quo is retained, even if the first team squad has barely been forced to delve deep into its capacities.
So went much of this game. In the first half, the possession was overwhelmingly in South's favour. South strung several series of passes together, and required United to take on a repelling role. Despite this, the goal opportunity count was even, as United moved the ball forwards with speed and directness, hoping to catch South on the break.
Five minutes in, John Anastasiadis found himself one on one with United goalkeeper Brett Hughes, and Hughes did enough to block the veteran striker's shot and then watched as the loose ball was scrambled away for a corner.
Sydney United's best first half efforts came from a 25 metre Eddie Bosmar free-kick thunderbolt was blocked than gathered by Chris Jones. Just before the break, quick thinking from Aytec Genc - showing he could recognise an opportunity on the park on Saturday evening to the same high quality as he could off it as a television analyst during the Leeds Galatasaray UEFA Cup game early on Thursday morning - saw the opportunities arising after the award of a free-kick.
Whist the South defence still considered its marking options, Genc played an early ball up the line to the unmarked Ante Moric, who in turn, whipped in a low cross into the six-yard box where Nick Bosevski had made a run, only for Jones to make a blocking save at his feet.
In between these two United chances, Michael Curcija had two opportunities for South. The first was a header just to the outside of the post following good work in the build-up from Goran Lozanovski and Jim Tsekinis. The second came after Tsekinis set him free with a perfectly-weighted through-ball, forcing a sharp save from Hughes.
Sydney United had shown better endeavour in the early part of the second half, but it wasn't long before the first-half roles were again applied.
The breakthrough was perhaps inevitable, given the shape of the game to that point, but was controversial none-the-less. Sydney United's pursuit of Lozanovski stopped as they believed the ball had gone over the goal-line and so out of play.
Lozanovski didn't hesitate, and his cross caught out Kupresak who put it past the hapless Hughes with Curcija threatening.
United kept battling, and such have been the fates that have affected South's season, it wouldn't have been beyond the bounds of possibility that United could have grabbed an equaliser.
Bosevski and Genc each had runs which, with a little more luck, could have sent them free of the South back-line. But South's last defensive line is a clever combination of height and fleetness of foot, and coped adequately with these cameos.
The South starting eleven was made by South coach Postecoglou with at least an eye on his following two games - the Anzac Day game against Carlton, and the Friday game at Newcastle.
"It wasn't a great day for us", said Postecoglou. "It wasn't a great performance. That's probably my fault, because I've made four or five changes, and every time I've done that this year, we've That's probably my fault, because I've made four or five changes, and every time I've done that this year, we've struggled."
"We've got three games in six days - tonight, Tuesday, and Friday. This season, we've had this scenario frequently, and I've tossed (team selection to spread the workload) around, and it really hasn't worked for us."