The early three-goal lead established by Dunedin Technical at Albie Turner Field on April 15 proved crucial in the final outcome of their National league encounter with Metro, as the youthful bottom-of-the-table side came storming home with a wet sail to end up on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline.
The visitors were all over their inexperienced opponents during the first twenty minutes of the match, and could well have amassed a few more goals than the two they struck during this spell.
Aaron Burgess, who emerged as the game's most influential player with a hat-trick, started the ball rolling in the fourth minute, concluding a move sparked by Jon Dale in fine style. The midfielder supplied the scorer with the ball, and Burgess took it on before releasing Clinton Boyle on the right.
As Boyle worked his way inside, Burgess delayed his run, to the point where he found himself in plenty of space near the edge of the penalty area when his team-mate pulled the ball back for him. Burgess duly picked his spot, beyond the diving figure of Robbie Graham.
The marksman then pulled his shot across the face of goal from a tight angle three minutes later, after Jonathan Smith - an impressive first half - won possession in midfield and slipped the ball through.
Seconds later, Smith himself then had a go, drilling the ball goalwards after wrong-footing two opponents. Metro's most consistent performer throughout the game, Luke Sarapu, was tracking back, however, and diverted the ball to safety.
After Graham had cleared the ball off Burgess' toes as he latched onto a Craig Dale pass, the striker was put in again by Smith in the thirteenth minute, but his attempt to execute a difficult volley saw the ball fly past the upright, much to Graham's relief.
The 'keeper was beaten all ends up four minutes later, however, Burgess claiming his second goal of the game with a marvellous volleyed strike from out on the right flank. The ball arced over the diving Graham and dropped plumb into the top right-hand corner of the net - quite unstoppable!
At 2-0, and well on top of proceedings, Dunedin looked set to cash in on their youthful opponents' shortcomings, but to Metro's credit, they gave as good as they got for the remainder of the half.
Building on the foundations provided by the rock-like Peter Hendricks in defence, and, in midfield, the outstanding Sarapu - what a bright footballing future this young man has ahead of him! - the home side tentatively but gradually established a foothold in the game, and gave Dunedin goalkeeper Michael Geddye and his defence frequent cause for concern during the remainder of the half.
The 'keeper saved Terot Thou's header at the feet of Kelly Escolme in the 21st minute, and watched on during the next four minutes as Tommy Mason miscued a volley over the crossbar, and Alex Chiet got in a timely tackle to thwart William Osborne, after Sarapu and Nigel Curteis had combined to send the speedy striker through.
On the half hour, the action reverted to the other end of the park, where a Geddye clearance sent Burgess scampering through, only for Matt Sigurdsson to pull off a timely tackle, forcing a corner, which saw Richard Smith's delivery pick out namesake Jonathan, who smashed a volley wide.
Metro responded through Hendricks, who forced a point-blank save from Geddye in the 33rd minute. The 'keeper was beaten seconds later, however, only for Leaveil Titus to fire across the face of goal after Dunedin had let a raking Graham clearance bounce unchallenged, this moments before they had to scramble the ball to safety after Escolme came close to converting a Sarapu cross.
Titus went close again for Metro four minutes before the interval, but this effort was the sandwiched by two chances for Dunedin which featured the best and worst of Graham's goalkeeping prowess.
The latter came first, as he fumbled a Blair Scoullar shot into the path of Burgess. Inexplicably, with the goal at his mercy, the hat-trick hunter missed the target entirely, admittedly from a tight angle.
Graham made amends soon after with a couple of fine saves. The first saw him batter a Scoullar shot to safety after Boyle's retrieval work on the left, while the second was the save of the match, a superb one-handed effort low to his right to thwart a twenty-five yard piledriver from Burgess, who was itching to make amends for the miss of the match moments before.
The visitors had, in the eyes of some, been harshly denied by the offside flag on a couple of occasions in the first half, but they were quick to reassert themselves in the second spell, although not before the lively Sarapu had sent a rising drive sailing over the crossbar, after the hard-working Thou had prompted the opportunity.
Craig Dale came close to extending Dunedin's lead in the 49th minute, his excellent angled twenty-five yard drive dipping viciously at the death, Graham forced to tip the ball over the crossbar.
Four minutes later, the visitors had their third goal, Burgess rounding off his hat-trick with a deflected shot past Graham, after Boyle and Craig Dale had done the hard work on the left.
At 3-0, the game appeared safe for the southerners, but such is the inexperience and youthfulness of Metro's line-up that they just kept on pressing away in the hope that their efforts might be rewarded.
Their perseverance paid off, for after Osborne had forced a fine diving save by Geddye, the home side pulled a goal back in the 67th minute. Stuart Hogg had only been on the park two minutes when he sent a ball through which Osborne hared off in pursuit of. Geddye raced off his line and appeared to save at the Fijian flyer's feet, but the ball spun loose. Osborne was quicker to recover his footing, and slotted the sphere into the empty net.
The visitors now had hope, but that new-found promise almost proved to be a false dawn, as Dunedin twice came close to restoring their three-goal advantage in the next six minutes, during which they threw everything but the proverbial kitchen sink at Metro's goal.  Somehow, Graham's goal survived intact, the 'keeper, after turning a Craig Dale free-kick to safety in the 71st minute, diving effectively at Burgess' feet two minutes later, as the home team's rearguard staggered on the ropes.
Incredibly, Metro charged straight back at their more experienced opponents, with Hogg and Mason conjuring an opening for Sarapu on the left. His cross was met by Osborne, who headed home from point-blank range in the 76th minute to set up a grandstand finish. Dunedin now found themselves holding on for a win, a position which hadn't even appeared a remote possibility in the first twenty minutes of the match, such was their dominance during that spell.
Metro continued to press, a twenty-yard blast from Curteis being smothered by Geddye, after Escolme had gone down under pressure in the penalty area. Next, up stepped Paul Shepherd, on receipt of a crossfield pass from Sarapu. The fullback let fly from thirty yards, and had Osborne diving for cover as the ball sped past him and narrowly wide of the right-hand upright.
In an effort to ease the mounting pressure on his team-mates, Burgess latched onto an 86th minute clearance on half-way and set forth towards Graham's goal, Joe Lupi the only yellow-clad colleague in support. Last season's runner-up in the Golden Boot stakes charged down the left, dodged Hendrick's challenge and let fly with a cross-shot which flew past the far post, not far away from where Lupi was fast arriving, calling for the ball.
With time running away on them, Metro charged again, Aaron Root firing wide after Titus and Henry Maenuu had prised open a gap on the edge of Dunedin's penalty area. But before the home team could give Geddye and friends further cause for concern, Steve Sargent brought to an end an entertaining affair, much to the disappointment of a few Metro players, who slumped to the ground in disappointment.
They shouldn't be, for there was much in this game which the home side can take heart from and build upon. Meanwhile, Roger Brooks, Dunedin's mentor, was pleased with the result, and the resulting sixth placing his team now enjoys, although the manner in which this victory was achieved wasn't quite to his satisfaction.

Metro:  Graham; Shepherd, Hendricks, Sigurdsson, Mason; Titus, Thou (Hogg, 65), Curteis (Root, 85), Sarapu; Escolme (Maenuu, 90), Osborne

Dunedin: Geddye; Chiet, R. Smith, Gregor (Lupi, 71); J. Dale, Scoullar (Jones, 59), J. Smith, C. Dale (Evans, 82), M. Smith; Burgess, Boyle

Referee: Steve Sargent

Scoring: Metro:  W. Osborne (67, 76)

Dunedin: A. Burgess (4, 17, 53)

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