Despite beating fellow relegation candidates Scunthorpe United on the final day of their League One campaign, Plymouth Argyle were unable to escape relegation to League Two as results elsewhere went against.
Results in the games involving Southend United and AFC Wimbledon saw the Shrimpers and the Dons survive at the Pilgrims' expense - the Shrimpers beat Sunderland 2-1 and the Dons drew 0-0 with already relegated Bradford City.
Plymouth-born Lloyd Jones, on loan from Luton Town, gave the Pilgrims the lead on eight minutes when he headed home after Iron keeper Jak Alnwick had denied Argyle's Ruben Lameiras.
Top scorer Freddie Ladapo then doubled their lead in the 35th minute - after being teed up by Antoni Sarcevic.
Three minutes before half-time, Kyle Wootton pulled one back for Scunthorpe after Lee Novak's overhead kick had been blocked.
On the hour mark, the Iron equalised in the most controversial of circumstances when Argyle keeper Matt Macey, on loan from Arsenal, attempted to roll the ball out of play so he could receive treatment.
Scunthorpe's Josh Morris had other ideas and chipped the ball back towards goal and into the back of the net to level matters.
The week before Leeds United had scored a goal in similar circumstances against Aston Villa and Leeds manager Marco Bielsa allowed Villa to walk through and score an equaliser. However, on this occasion, no such gesture was forthcoming from the Iron.
It was then left to the Pilgrims' talisman Graham Carey to restore Argyle's lead in the 70th minute and everything seemed to be going to plan as it was announced that Southend were drawing 1-1 with Sunderland. But the Shrimpers grabbed a late winner in the 88th minute which broke Pilgrims' hearts.
The challenge now for Derek Adams' successor to build a team that could take Argyle back to League One at the first attempt, and they will need to act quickly and swiftly to find said person.
