Canberra Cosmos completed what might be their last game - and not just for the season - by being outplayed by a competent but not throughly convincing Glory.
In the end, the score was always going to be more important than the result, with Glory needing to make sure they won by at least as much at Bruce, as Wollongong won against Ad City in the 'Gong.
This game had a weird feel about it - Cosmos certainly tried hard but were always going to be fairly easily exposed without the dominance and direction of Hiroshi Miyzawa at the back.
Glory started and finished the game with very serious intent, but seemed to lose the drive in between.
They squandered about half a dozen good chances to score - and hit the crossbar and uprights at least 3 times - though it may well have been more.
Had only one of them gone in, Glory would have been playing for a Grand Final against South Melbourne. Instead, 3-0 was not enough as Wolves won 6-2. I have never seen a side look so upset aftera 3-0 win!
I spoke to Nick Tana at half-time and he admitted that his side were crap on Wednesday, against Parramatta. He said that they had put themselves in this position and now had to show what they were capable of doing.
History will now show a Grand Final in Melbourne or perhaps Wollongong in 2000/2001.
For their part, Cosmos finished their best season before a good crowd - who hadn't turned up in these numbers often, even in seasons past. Perhaps they had morbid intent - to see the last throw of a dying club - if so, the next day may well tell.
Talk of interest from Arsenal and the size of today's crowd indicates the potential - though certain players should look elsewhere for a club.
Certainly Miyazawa, Castro, Cortes and recent 'keeper Giannasca should be retained if this phoenix continues to rise from the financial difficulties that plague it during past seasons.
Chairman Danny Moulis has done a fantastic job to lift the whole enterprise and refuses to speak of defeat and departure from NSL ranks.
Sitting there, in that beautiful arena, it would be tragic if football continued without Canberra - but you can take the Cosmos out of the NSL, but you can't take the NSL out of the Cosmos!
Canberra supporters will now drift into the black hole of off-season nothingness - hoping it will not last an eternity!