TORONTO - It was a fitting end to the Toronto Argonauts' 2008 season of futility.

Neal Hughes' two-yard TD run with 12 seconds remaining earned the Saskatchewan Roughriders a wild 45-38 win over Toronto on Thursday, handing the Argos their season-ending ninth straight loss Thursday night.

It wasn't the fact Toronto (4-14) lost that was frustrating, it was the manner in which it did. Saskatchewan outscored the Argos 28-7 in the fourth quarter to snatch the victory before a Rogers Centre gathering of 28,654 on Fan Appreciation Night. Despite its abysmal season, the club finished the season with a solid season average attendance of 29,189.

The loss tarnished a superb performance by Argos quarterback Kerry Joseph against his former team. Joseph, the '07 CFL MVP who guided Saskatchewan to last year's Grey Cup title, was 25-of-38 passing for 307 yards and a career-best five TD strikes in helping stake Toronto to a 21-7 first-quarter lead.

Hughes' touchdown came after Toronto muffed an attempted third-down gamble. Instead of punting from inside the 40-yard line, the Argos went for a direct snap to Bryan Crawford but he fumbled, giving Saskatchewan possession at the 39-yard line.

A pass interference call against Adrian Mayes put Saskatchewan on the two-yard line with 14 seconds left. Hughes bulled his way in from there at 14:48 to give the Riders (12-6) the dramatic victory.

"It's a difficult one to lose," said Argos head coach Don Matthews, who was 0-8 since replacing Rich Stubler in September. "Nine straight is even harder.

"That (fake punt) was a called play. The blocking was there, I think it would've gone a fair distance but the snap was a little hard."

Joseph echoed his coach's sentiments.

"Ending on a nine-game losing streak, that's not what I had any thought of coming in here," Joseph said.

The win moves Saskatchewan into second in the West Division. If the Calgary Stampeders beat B.C. on Saturday, the Riders will host the Lions in the conference semifinal Nov. 8. Should B.C. win, he Lions will host Saskatchewan at B.C. Place.

"To be able to come back and win a game late really does provide some momentum going into the playoffs," said Riders head coach Ken Miller. "It was a good win for us."

Hughes' TD ensured that former Argos quarterback Michael Bishop didn't wear the goat horns in his first appearance at Rogers Centre since being dealt to Saskatchewan in August. Bishop ran for 58 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries and did complete 18-of-32 passes for 292 yards but was intercepted four times.

Miller admitted he thought about making a quarterback change in the third after Bishop threw his final interception. But as soon as he came off the field, Bishop went immediately to speak to his coach.

"I told him, 'Things things happen, let me ride it out and give me a chance to bounce back,' " said Bishop. "You can't have turnovers, I know that, but he stuck with me."

Bishop tied the game 38-38 with a one-yard TD run at 13:35 of the fourth. He set up the touchdown with a 51-yard completion to Rob Bagg that put the ball at Toronto's two-yard line.

Bishop reiterated after the game he wasn't seeking redemption against his former team and admitted he got involved in some good-natured banter with Argos defensive tackle Adriano Belli and linebacker Mike O'Shea.

"Even though I'm in Saskatchewan, I still talk with a lot of the guys," Bishop said. "I've got a lot of respect for them . . . there's no bad blood between me and anybody on that team.

"We were down but we showed heart and determination to get back in. As for the playoffs, to me it really doesn't matter where we play because regardless, we've got to be ready as one unit. We know we've got to play B.C. either way."

What's more, the Riders beat Toronto minus running back Wes Cates. The CFL's second-leading rusher started the game but was seen having his ankle examined in the second and never returned. It wasn't clear if Cates was being rested or was injured.

Crawford's fumble wasn't Toronto's only special-teams miscue. Mike Vanderjagt had a punt blocked in the second quarter, giving Saskatchewan the ball at the Argos' 34-yard line. But Byron Parker's interception in the end zone - his second of the game - preserved the home team's 24-17 half-time lead.

Toronto now heads into an uncertain off-season. Questions remain about Matthews' future - he again refused to discuss it after the game - as well as that of such veterans as linebackers O'Shea, Michael Fletcher and Kevin Eiben, safety Kenny Wheaton, defensive end Riall Johnson and offensive linemen Jude St. John and Chad Folk.

Fletcher and Eiben both finished the season on the injured list while Johnson was de-activated for Thursday's game and Wheaton has said won't return if Matthews does. O'Shea (38 years old), Folk (36) and St. John (35) all have plenty of miles on them.

"We wanted to go out on a high note and get it for the veterans like O'Shea, who has mentored me," Crawford said. "A little something to end it with."

Crawford said the Argos had spent a lot of time practising the direct snap to him out of their punt formation, looking for the right situation to employ it.

"We had them outnumbered and a lot of times it can go for a big gain," he said. "We had the lead and nothing to lose.

"It came up a little high and hard. Once you bobble it, it's over."

Andre Talbot, with two, Arland Bruce III and P.K. Sam had Toronto's other touchdowns. Vanderjagt kicked the converts and added a field goal.

Hughes finished with two TDs for Saskatchewan, with Stu Foord getting the other. Luca Congi added six converts and a field goal.

NOTES - Receiver James Robinson, defensive back Pete Hunter and tackle Cliff Washburn were Toronto's other pre-game scratches. Running back Hugh Charles, offensive lineman Chris Best, long-snapper Kevin Scott and defensive lineman Jimmy Verdon didn't dress for Saskatchewan . . . Argos linebacker Mike O'Shea appeared in his 205th career game with Toronto, the second-most in club history behind Don Moen (222) . . . Riders tackle Gene Makowsky appeared in his 236th career game, tying him for fifth spot in club history with Dave Ridgway . . . Saskatchewan has clinched a CFL playoff berth for the seventh straight year, their longest such streak since making the post-season for 15 straight seasons (1962-'76).