Walsall 3 - 2 Rotherham United
Not for the first time, and probably not the last, Paul Merson proved that football is rarely dull when he is involved.
This compelling contest was a microcosm of the 36-year-old's career. There was drama, tension and an improbable victory for Merson's Walsall who, reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Simon Osborn, twice regained the lead after penalties had been awarded against them.
The victory was achieved by Paul Ritchie's header deep into stoppage time and kept alive Walsall's hopes of extending their three-year stay in the First Division. But only for a few seconds until the news filtered through that Gillingham had achieved the draw they needed to relegate Walsall on goal difference.
And striding above it all was Merson. In his fourth game as caretaker manager, the former Arsenal and England international gave a demonstration in keeping with his reputation as one of the most gifted players of his generation.
There were times when he was too good - not just for the opposition but also his team-mates, who lacked the vision or skills to exploit his talents. Merson, however, was in no mood to reproach his charges.
"I couldn't have asked for any more of the players," he said. "The bottom line is that there are 46 games in a season and it's no good ending up hoping Stoke do you a favour."
Yet Stoke went some way towards helping their neighbours: their draw meant Walsall could have survived had they won by three clear goals.
"I told the players we needed to win by three goals because I had a feeling about the way Gillingham would play at Stoke," Merson added. "And we made enough chances to win by the margin we needed."
So, too, did Rotherham. Indeed, Walsall would have been consigned to the Second Division by the interval had Michael Proctor and Martin Butler both not missed open goals. When the Millers' goalkeeper Mike Pollitt dropped the ball and Osborn opened the scoring, it seemed the fates were favouring Walsall. But Ronnie Moore, the visiting manager, offered an alternative explanation.
"Had I been a neutral I would have thought things were not quite right," he said. "Proctor and Butler didn't even get a shot in. We owed it to Gillingham and ourselves to finish the season on a high."
Moreover they were given every opportunity, not least by Osborn. Having conceded the penalty from which Proctor equalised, the midfielder collected a second caution for a foul on Andy Monkhouse in the 62nd minute and was sent off.
Rotherham's second penalty, converted by Paul Warne, cancelled out another scrambled Walsall goal, this time by the substitute Mark Wright. It was the fourth penalty conceded by Walsall in three games but, to their credit, they refused to feel sorry for themselves.
All of which must augur well for Merson's chances of being appointed player-manager when he meets Walsall's owner Jeff Bonser today. And it is a job Merson craves, despite this disappointment.
"I'd give my right arm for it," he said. " It would be a massive opportunity. I look at my former team-mate Tony Adams, who was a legend at Arsenal. He had to start at the bottom of the Second Divison with a club that was nine points adrift. It would be a dream to get a job at a club like this. I don't want to go into TV yet."
Man of the match: Paul Merson (Walsall)