Local derbies between Onehunga Sports and Feltonmix Metro have invariably been closely fought affairs in recent seasons, save for the occasion two years ago when Metro dished out an 8-0 hiding to their Ferguson Park rivals.
At that venue on July 11, the Sean Hird-coached side were in the mood to hand out another footballing lesson to their rivals, and in doing so set a new Bluebird Premier League record.
Never before has a visiting team recorded a victory by double figures in the competition, which began in its current format in 1984. But Metro's 13-1 demolition of their hapless bottom-of-the-table opponents well and truly put paid to that statistic on this occasion.
Early chances for John Van Dort and Nigel Curties, both saved by Mark Fulcher, hinted that Metro were going to prove a handful for Sports to contain. And when Steve Nickson opened the scoring with a scorcher into the top corner after just seven minutes, you sensed it wasn't going to be the last strike you'd witness during the afternoon.
Van Dort went close again soon afterwards, but come the quarter hour mark, the scoreline still read 1-0 in Metro's favour. The next nine minutes, however, are nine minutes Sports will want to forget in a fearful hurry.
For Metro slammed home five goals in that short space of time - if you'd blinked, chances are you'd have missed seeing one!! The sequence goes thus:
15 minutes 2-0 Nickson turned and crossed from the left to the far post, where Willie Thompson was arriving. He guided the ball into Danny McHenery's path, and the striker cleverly flicked the ball past Fulcher with the inside of his heel.
16 minutes 3-0 An underhit Sean McCarthy backpass was pounced on by Nickson, who rounded Fulcher before tucking the ball into an empty net.
18 minutes 4-0 A superb individual strike from Neil Harlock, who beat his marker before running twenty yards, then planting a twenty yarder beyond Fulcher into the far corner.
21 minutes 5-0 Harlock inspired a lovely move, his left flank raid resulting in a low cross which targeted McHenery. The striker missed the ball completely, but Nickson was behind him on the far post, and tapped in for his hat-trick.
24 minutes 6-0 Another stray Sports pass was latched onto by McHenery. He charged into the penalty area, where Fulcher felled him. Willie Thompson did the honours from the spot.
With these five goals, the game was over as a contest, and the opportunity availed itself for Metro to put on a bit of a clinic. And, despite the treacherous conditions of the pitch, which really wasn't conducive to a great footballing spectacle, they duly did - for a spell.
Before they could do so, however, a couple of the home team's players took it upon themselves to endeavour to instil some pride in their fellows, the heads of a number of whom had, understandably, dropped at the realisation they were in for a wee bit of a pasting.
Percy Watson released Gordon-Jon Thompson through Metro's offside trap in the 26th minute, and it was only Grant Schofield saving at the striker's feet which prevented Sports from scoring on that occasion.
Three minutes later, however, they had something to show for their afternoon's efforts, Greg Larsen having coolly clipped the ball past Schofield on receipt of another pass through a square defence, this time from Dean Delaney.
Some teams have found this season that scoring against Metro can have ominous consequences at the other end of the park, as the competition co-leaders endeavour to reply with interest. Sports, sadly, paid heavily for their success in breaching one of the league's most miserly defences, Metro's response to this perceived affront seeing them hammer home another six goals in the next half hour or so.
Fulcher blocked bravely at McHenery's feet soon after Larsen's goal, and was saved by the crossbar in the 34th minute when Van Dort sent a drive crashing against it. Harlock gathered the rebound, slipped the ball past a defender, then crossed delightfully to the far post for Nickson, who headed home his fourth goal in twenty-seven minutes.
The overworked goalkeeper pulled off a fine save to deny the striker a fifth goal before the interval, but the battling work of McHenery, right on half-time, was rewarded by the sight of Jason Thompson slamming the ball home from close range.
8-1 became 9-1 in the 53rd minute, and a deserved goal for Van Dort, who cleverly glanced home a tantalising free-kick delivered from deep by Harlock, who is proving to be a truly potent addition to Metro's armoury, with his cultured skills and set-piece artistry.
A thunderous Nickson drive beat Fulcher all ends up in the 56th minute, but the ball cannoned back into play off the upright. The 'keeper wasn't so fortunate a minute later, however, as Metro hit double figures. Stuart Davidson beat the offside trap on the right, and crossed for McHenery. He totally miscued his shot, much to Stuart Mair's delight - his first goal of the season was hit with venom aplenty.
All the ones appeared on the scoreboard in the 62nd minute - 1-11 was how it read after McHenery nipped in to net from close range, following a Harlock free-kick which Van Dort headed over Fulcher but against the crossbar. The ball dropped down to Mark Wiltshire, but the defender made no attempt to clear the sphere, his stunned reaction very much in keeping with Sports' generally uncompetitive display.
One can only imagine what the likes of Tony Porter, Dave Chapman, Ian Grainger and other Sports' stars of recent ilk thought of their successors' efforts, as they watched their club's premier side capitulate before their eyes. Something tells me the old guard will be back on first team duty before too much longer!!
Two minutes after McHenery's latest effort, Nickson flicked on for his striking partner, who drew Fulcher out before unselfishly slipping the ball to Carl Jorgensen - 12-1. Fulcher foiled Nickson and Curties soon after, before Metro rather lost their way in attack, frequently falling foul of what, to this point, had been the flimsiest of offside traps.
This encouraged Sports to press for a little more respectability, only for Mair to clear off the line from Larsen, thus sparing Schofield's blushes. The goalkeeper had hurtled off his line at breakneck speed as Sports broke through in the 83rd minute, which led to the comical sight of the former All White custodian somewhere near the half-way mark, and the opposition's foremost striker far nearer the zone in which Schofield normally produces his heroics!!
A blocked Harlock shot and a final goal - Jorgensen returning McHenery's earlier display of unselfishness in kind, thus allowing the striker to clinch his hat-trick in the final seconds - was all Metro had to show for their efforts in the final twenty minutes, as they failed to finish off the game in the ruthless manner with which they had dominated the previous seventy.
True, it was a no-contest after half an hour, but with the top of the Bluebird Premier League table being as tight as it is, goal difference could well play a significant role in the final outcome ...
Still, it's hard to complain about a 13-1 win, especially given its record-breaking significance. But Metro, and others, would do well to learn from the attitude exhibited by another pursuant of championship silverware, Three Kings United's Premier Women, less than twenty-four hours later.
They led West Auckland 8-0 at half-time in their top-versus-bottom encounter, and went on to annihilate their beleagured opponents 19-0, a result which shattered the previous record victory in Premier Women's League soccer. So ruthless are they, however, that there was a tinge of disappointment at not having scored a score come the final whistle!!
NB While Onehunga Sports' loss on July 11 is a record home defeat in the Bluebird Premier League, they still hold the league's record victory honour, having thrashed Mt. Maunganui 19-1 at Ferguson Park on June 15, 1996.

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