Burnley ended their six-year stay in the Premier League after crumbling at the hands of Newcastle United – who relegated the Clarets to the Championship as Leeds United beat Brentford.
Callum Wilson fired home a 20th-minute penalty to pour cold water on a fired-up home crowd before adding a second on the hour.
Maxwel Cornet pulled a goal back on 69 minutes but the Clarets just couldn't get themselves the victory that they ended up needing on a pulsating final weekend of the top-flight season.
Both Burnley and Leeds sat on 35 points but the latter had a far inferior goal-difference. This meant that Mike Jackson's team had their fate in their own hands.
However, goals from Raphinha and Jack Harrison, either side of a Sergi Canos equaliser, meant that Leeds had bettered Burnley's result and had, therefore, done just about enough to pull off a remarkable eleventh-hour escape from the drop.
The game at Turf Moor had been billed as Burnley's biggest game since the match against Leyton Orient in 1987 – a match that would determine the club's Football League status and financial wellbeing. They won that do-or-die encounter but ultimately fell short 35 years later.
Relegation to the Championship will force the club's owners, ALK Capital, to immediately repay a large portion of a £65-million loan borrowed from MSD Holdings – potentially triggering a fire-sale of Burnley's key players.
Alongside the loss of over £100-million in television revenue, the financial forecasts are not looking too bright in East Lancashire at the moment.
After a 2-0 defeat to Norwich City, the club brutally parted ways with club legend Sean Dyche in a move that was considered as lunacy by much of the footballing world.
However, caretaker boss Jackson had engineered a remarkable resurgence in form and gave everybody hope again. Sadly for him and the people of Burnley, their days of playing the division's answer to Robin Hood have now come to an end.
Story of the match
Jackson named an unchanged line-up from the team that battled to a midweek point against Aston Villa.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe made two alterations from the team that crushed Arsenal's Champions League hopes on Monday night. Jamaal Lascelles came in to captain the team at the expense of Fabian Schar, while Kieran Trippier replaced Emile Krafth.
Howe signed Trippier when he was the Burnley manager in 2012 but the duo were now standing in the way of their old club's Premier League status. As was Chris Wood, who infamously joined the Magpies just a few months ago. The New Zealand star was back on the bench after injury.
In a carnival-like atmosphere, the visitors suffered an early blow in the opening minutes as Joelinton was forced off on a stretcher after landing awkwardly on his ankle. A terrible end to the campaign for Newcastle's Player of the Season, who was replaced by Jacob Murphy. But the setback only seemed to galvanise the visiting team.
In the 16th-minute, Nathan Collins dallied in possession and Bruno Guimaraes forced Nick Pope into save from the loose ball on the edge of the box.
From the resulting corner, Collins inexplicably handled the ball with a flailing arm and a penalty was awarded after VAR intervention. This was certainly a clearer decision than last weekend's controversially awarded penalty awarded at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Wilson stepped up and sent Pope the wrong way.
At pretty much the same time, Leeds thought they had taken the lead against Brentford – but the offside flag eventually denied Joe Gelhardt. Burnley fans chewed on fingernails!
The Clarets eventually started getting into a lot of promising positions – particularly Connor Roberts – but the final ball was lacking.
Dwight McNeil did work himself an opening in the 39th-minute, chopping in on his trusty left foot, but he couldn't keep his 25-yard strike down.
Just before half-time, it was McNeil again trying to take the game to Newcastle, this time testing Martin Dubravka from a similar range.
However, in first-half additional time, the Magpies had a great chance to double their advantage.
Burnley were at sixes-and-sevens as Allan Saint-Maximin exploded down the field from inside his own half. Nobody could get close to the Frenchman but he couldn't beat Pope as he stared the goalkeeper down in a one-versus-one situation.
It was do-or-die for the hosts and Jackson evidenced that thought process with a half-time change: Wout Weghorst on for Roberts and a switch to a back-four.
Collapse
The change in emphasis was clear but the next most meaningful event was at the Brentford Community Stadium: Leeds went ahead (for real this time). And that misery was compounded just a few minutes later when Wilson scored his second.
Saint-Maximin was having a field day against the second-half's makeshift right-back, Collins. He shifted inside and squared the ball for a gleeful Wilson, who slotted in from point-blank range.
However, Burnley rallied and Cornet smashed a goal back after seeing his initial effort saved by Dubravka. Collins had initially done well to find the find the Ivorian with a low ball across the box.
As news filtered through of a 78th-minute Brentford equaliser, the home fans started to ramp up the atmosphere and the Burnley players began to pile on the pressure.
Weghorst couldn't get a strong enough connection on the ball as Barnes fired a low delivery across the six-yard box and Jack Cork had an effort from the edge of the box cleared off the line by Matt Targett.
In the 88th-minute, Cornet got onto the end of Charlie Taylor's cross but his header went straight into the gloves of Dubravka.
Cornet again had a chance to equalise in added-time but he couldn't sort his feet out.
That was probably a good thing for the sanity of the home support, as it happens, with Harrison bagging Leeds' winner in the 94th-minute – rendering a point obsolete.
Burnley and Newcastle were both battling at the basement of the table during the festive period. The current reality could now not be any more different. One will be welcoming the rigours of the Championship while the other will be gleefully dreaming of a rise towards the Champions League.