Wimbledon 1 - 2 Sunderland
Wimbledon bowed out of the first division after four seasons last night, largely unloved and unlamented.
Just 4,800 were present to see them receive the last rites, and with 2,380 of those sporting the red and white of promotion-chasing Sunderland, their friends and relations were almost outnumbered.
"Maybe tomorrow," croaked Kelly Jones of the Stereophonics over the PA at the National Hockey Stadium as the last of the sparse crowd drifted into the dank Buckinghamshire night. And that, for Wimbledon manager, Stuart Murdoch, has to be his mantra after a season in which he has seen his efforts to keep the Dons afloat sabotaged by the administrators.
Evidence of how Murdoch's squad has been cut down was all too clear last night.
Just two of the team that began the campaign in such optimistic fashion by defeating Crewe Alexandra 3-1 were in the starting line-up.
In between times, youthful talent such as Nigel Reo-Coker, Jobi McAnuff and Adam Nowland were sold for a song. That particular trio were bought by West Ham United, no strangers themselves to being ravaged by predators following relegation.
And it was their departure in January that hammered home the message to Murdoch that his task was futile.
"We lost our entire mid-field in the space of a couple of weeks," he said. "Once they'd gone, I felt it was an impossibility for us to stay up."
But like his youthful side, who gave Sunderland a fright when the substitute Malvin Kamara cancelled out Marcus Stewart's opener, only for another substitute, Darren By field, to clinch victory for the visitors, Murdoch refuses to wallow in self-pity.
"We did not go out with a whimper," he added. "Now we've got to look forward."
While Murdoch's counterparts, including Sunderland's Mick McCarthy, wish him well, rumour has it that some supporters of AFC Wimbledon are trying to undermine him.
Murdoch added: "I've heard rumours that some have been emailing clubs, telling their players not to join us."
Irrespective of that apparent malevolence, Murdoch hopes to be in a position to start recruiting new players and offering existing ones contracts when the club is freed from the constraints of administration later this month.
"Then I'll be able to sit down and get some new players in. Also, we haven't been able to give some of the current ones contracts, so I'll have to see to that as well," he said. "In fact, I'm very excited by the whole thing. As long as I'm given the tools to do the job, I can envisage that, in two or three years' time, this will be a vibrant club."
Not even the unpopular relocation to Milton Keynes, that caused the split among Wimbledon supporters, can dampen Murdoch's optimism and enthusiasm. Neither could the number of Wimbledon supporters at last night's game.
"We might have had only 2,400 there, but that's more than we were getting at Selhurst Park," he said. "That that many should come out on a wet evening to a stadium that is not fully enclosed, when they could watch Arsenal against Chelsea on the TV, is very encouraging."
While Murdoch contemplates life in the Second Division, McCarthy still has his sights set on the Premiership after his side shrugged off the disappointment of defeat in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Millwall.
The victory has taken them to within eight points of front-runners Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion, and Sunderland still have a game in hand.
"Those two clubs have still got to come to our place, so anything can still happen," said McCarthy. "Don't forget what happened to Wolves a couple of seasons ago."