In a more stable era, Portsmouth's 2-0 win over Coventry in the battle of the financial basket cases in League One might have given them a glimmer of hope that they could yet escape relegation.
And Coventry, despite a defeat meted out via goals from Jed Wallace and Patrick Agyemang, might reasonably still be hoping to bag a place in the play-offs and a shot at an immediate return to the Championship after relegation last spring. But this is no stable era.
Coventry are pondering docked points - and no certainty where their team will even be playing their next home game.
Play up Pompey: Portsmouth's Jed Wallace celebrates scoring the opener against CoventryTheir owners Sisu, a hedge fund, have upped sticks and left the Ricoh Arena they rent.
And it is extremely likely that Pompey, in administration for 13 months and counting, will be relegated anyway, consigned to fourth-tier football for the first time since 1980. And that is their best-case scenario.
Sisu said they have been left with no choice but to abandon the Ricoh over rent that is too high. Yet the stadium's owners, ACL, insist Coventry can stay, as long as agreement can be reached on outstanding rent of £1.3million. The impasse comes with added confusion.
Sisu have placed one company into administration, a firm called Coventry City Football Club Limited, which had the rental agreement with ACL. Another company, Coventry City Football Club (Holdings), continues to trade - and Sisu insist this firm control the football club.
Glory days: But Portsmouth have fallen a long way since winning the FA CupA court hearing on Tuesday will determine whether a judge agrees - and whether City will be docked points for CCFCL's administration.
Meanwhile, Sisu and ACL are in a stand-off that may or may not see the club return to the Ricoh or find another club, possibly Walsall, where they will play their home games for now.
Pompey may not emerge from administration at all, instead ceasing to exist after 115 years. That depends on a court hearing scheduled for April 10-11.
In an era when £5.5billion of new TV money is about to start gushing into the Premier League, post-PL woe for numerous former clubs continues to unfold up and down the country.
Ricoh doubts: Coventry City's groundThere are more than a dozen clubs who have been in administration since dropping out of the top flight.
Lifelong Pompey fan Micah Hall, a Trust member and shareholder, believes the woes of his club and many others stem from owners who place their own interests ahead of everything.
'The way a club should be run isn't complicated,' he says. 'It should be run to provide football for people of the locality in a safe stadium. Far too many people have been interested in buying a club, probably for a small amount, getting into the Premier League and banking the profit. They're a disease and are ruining our game.'
The Supporters' Trust now have in place an agreement to buy the club for £3m from the administrator, and hope a court hearing next month will also rubber-stamp their purchase of Fratton Park for another £3m.
The money is in the bank, guaranteed. The stumbling block is whether a judge agrees £3m is a fair price for the stadium or whether a late bid from financier Keith Harris for a similar amount should be accepted instead.
Over at the Sky Blue Trust of Coventry, spokesman Jan Mokrzycki says fans are sick of off-field machinations. 'We've become experts in accounts and escrow. We just want to go and watch football - and know where.'
More... League One round-up: Pompey grab lifeline as Donny stretch lead at top Home from home? Coventry look set to remain at Ricoh despite 'lock out' rumours Lowdown on League One: Just nine points separate the top 10 in race for promotion... and Pompey are fighting to survive
