Less than a minute into Saturday's National League Promotion Final and it looked as though Tranmere Rovers would be experiencing the disappointment of defeat for a second successive season after nerves got the better of Liam Ridehalgh and he was dismissed for a lunging challenge after losing control of the ball.
However the red card seemed to temporarily unnerve opponents Boreham Wood, as if they were unsure what approach to now take to a game they had entered as underdogs.
During those crucial next few minutes Tranmere managed to get their noses in front and then made a tactical substition that allowed them to regroup and invite Boreham Wood to try and break them down.
So successful was the Rovers rearguard that they only conceded one clear-cut chance in the remainder of the first half but that was enough to pull Boreham Wood level deep into stoppage time.
The pattern continued after the break in a match of few chances but one that was an absorbing battle of wits and was decided by James Norwood's header less then ten minutes from time.
An explosion of joy at the final whistle made it clear how much promotion meant to a Tranmere club who came so close last year and, although it's so often a football cliche, the support that came relentlessly from the stands really did seem to make a difference to the players on the field when they needed it most.
It was good to see, too, how the players made sure that chairman Mark Palios got to lift the trophy and how he was cheered by fans when appearing on the big screen.
I wrote in May 2015 about how determined both Mark and Nicola Palios were that relegation out of the Football League would not spell the end of the club and huge credit goes to both of them and everyone at Prenton Park for embracing the challenge of the National League while trying their utmost to get out of it, all the while trying to put Tranmere on a more secure economic footing.
As for the occasion itself this was the second year that I had taken up the 'early-bird' offer for neutral supporters to attend the National League Promotion Final for £20 (£10 concessions) which gives the buyer prime seats in the Club Wembley section of the stadium.
Many Non-League clubs were represented in this area and it offers a prime view of both the action and the after-match celebrations but prices for the two competing teams were more expensive which may reflect the costs involved for the National League to hire the stadium for their showpiece occasion.
The overall attendance of 16,306 also reflects the fact that Boreham Wood are a club very much on the up but who are at present trying to grow their supporter base.
Will the game be in North London game next year? Perhaps the potential sale of Wembley will be one of the factors in that.
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