Any two from Tondela, Chaves, Sporting Covilhã and União da Madeira were in the frame as the clock ticked down. Tondela, runaway leaders only two months ago, were losing 1-0 at Freamunde so it was União da Madeira and Chaves who would be joining the big boys.
But then, in the fourth minute of stoppage time, up stepped Tondela substitute André Carvalhas - he’d only been on the pitch ten minutes - to smash home a free-kick to level the score and send the small town team into the top flight for the first time in their history.
Just three seasons ago they were playing non-league regional football. Chaves fans, who had been celebrating, were distraught as they realised their dreams were shattered. União da Madeira won 3-0 in Lisbon against Oriental to secure the other promotion place.
When teams are level on points, unlike in England where goal difference counts, in Portugal it is the head-to-head results that count so Sporting Covilhã, despite a superior goal difference, lost out to the islanders.
Madeira can now boast three teams - Marítimo, Nacional and União da Madeira - in the Primeira Liga.
In the final round of games champions Benfica beat Marítimo 4-1 with Jonas scoring a brace and having a perfectly good goal disallowed by linesman António Simões.
If the goal had been given, Jonas would have drawn level with Porto’s Jackson Martinez in the race for the Golden Boot with 23 goals.
Second place FC Porto beat relegated Penafiel 2-0 and Sporting Lisbon won 1-0 at Rio Ave. The top three will now have their sights on Champions League glory next season whilst fourth and fifth-placed teams SC Braga and Vitória de Guimarães qualify for the Europa League.
Tonight (Friday) Benfica play Marítimo in the final of the League Cup in Coimbra.