Northern Ireland's miserable Nations League campaign ended in fitting fashion at Windsor Park as they were beaten by Valentino Lazaro’s strike with the last kick of the game.
It left Michael O’Neill’s side without a point in Group B3 after they came into the final match knowing they had already been relegated to the third tier of the competition in two years’ time.
The campaign has been one of frustration for Northern Ireland; plenty of possession and potential but not nearly enough to show for their efforts against Austria and Bosnia.
Corry Evans’s 57th-minute equaliser looked to have given his country some reward from another promising performance, until Lazaro struck in the third minute of injury-time – even though Belgian referee Jonathan Lardot only added on two minutes.
Jordan Jones was guilty of taking the wrong option on the edge of the Austria box as he tried to force his way through the middle instead of passing wide, and Stuart Dallas then allowed himself to be brushed off the ball by David Alaba.
The Bayern Munich man passed forward to West Ham striker Marko Arnautovic – who made an immediate impact as a second-half substitute – and he picked out Lazaro with an excellent square pass. The Hertha Berlin striker took a touch and then curled a shot beyond goalkeeper Trevor Carson to steal victory.
It meant that Northern Ireland have suffered four competitive defeats in a row at home, as well as four losses in the new Nations League.
Austria’s goalless draw with Bosnia in Vienna on Thursday had already condemned them to relegation, and the dead rubber gave O’Neill an opportunity to hand goalkeeper Carson and winger Jones their first competitive starts, while Gareth McAuley returned in central defence to win an 80th cap just two weeks short of his 39th birthday.
Liam Boyce once again led the attack four days after a goalless draw against the Republic of Ireland saw O’Neill’s side continue to struggle in goal. Indeed, they had scored just twice in their last seven competitive games, losing six of them.
Austria also lacked a threat in the absence of Arnautovic, who scored the only goal in the reverse fixture in Vienna last month but started on the bench on this occasion due to a niggling knee problem.
It showed in a first half dominated by set-pieces that produced only one shot on target, and even that was a deflection.
It came Northern Ireland’s way in the seventh minute when Boyce burst into the Austria penalty box and the ball broke for Corry Evans. His effort clipped off Stefan Lainer and looped over goalkeeper Heinz Lindner who did well to turn it over the bar as he backpedalled.
Boyce also directed a header straight at Jonny Evans from Niall McGinn’s freekick after Alaba had brought down the lively Dallas who posed a constant threat from left-back.
McGinn then curled another freekick over the wall and inches wide in the 44th minute when Xaver Schlager fouled George Saville on the edge of the box.
Austria’s only effort of note in the first half came from a similar position after 13 minutes when Saville clipped Alaba, and the Bayern Munich man guided his attempt onto the roof of the net.
But the away team went ahead four minutes after the restart as Northern Ireland again found themselves going behind against the run of play.
A fine move down the left flank allowed half-time substitute Robert Zulj the chance to slide a square pass into the box. Alaba stepped over the ball and Schlager was unmarked as he whipped a left-foot shot beyond Carson.
Saville will feel as though he could have got closer to the goalscorer, but the Millwall midfielder made amends when Northern Ireland equalised four minutes later.
Saville made a crucial intervention to dispossess Julian Baumgartlinger and the ball ran for Jones who cut inside and picked out Corry Evans’s run. The Blackburn midfielder took a touch and then took aim, although it needed a deflection off the lunging Martin Hinteregger to take the ball past Lindner.
Austria sent on Arnautovic and he had an immediate impact, teeing up Alaba who should have done better than fire over. Arnautovic then tangled with McAuley as they competed for a high ball and the veteran defender was booked for grabbing his opponent around the neck on the floor.
Saville went closest to a winner for Northern Ireland when he volleyed narrowly wide in the 76th minute and it would not have flattered the hosts.
But once again they were left with a sense of injustice as Lazaro struck at the death to hand them more Nations League misery.