The Royals dominated from the onset and settled any prematch nerves with an early goal.
Captain Hayden Aish and Nico Zambrano combined through the middle to release Raven August down the right, who delivered a low cross for Hugh Jack to drill the ball home after five minutes.
The Royals dominated possession, leaving UC to pick up the loose ball and counter attack, but there were unable to trouble Royals keeper Alex Boomer.
The Royals deservedly doubled the lead on 29 minutes when Josh McCarroll cut inside and fed Zambrano, who turned on the ball
and released Will Turner down the right flank. He delivered a low ball into the UC goalmouth, where August was on hand to tap the ball
home.
Three minutes before halftime it was 3-0 when Jack’s corner was headed back across the goal by August and Connor Neil, playing at centre back, scored.
UC started the second half with more pressure creating several half chances, but rarely threatening.
After seeing off the UC threat, the Royals were awarded a penalty when Turner was fouled by UC keeper Matthew LeBlanc.
Neil stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way, but his only shot cannoned off the crossbar.
The Royals went looking for more goals but could not find a way past LeBlanc, with Zambrano hitting the post from a tight angle, then LeBlanc denied Zambrano making a great save tipping the ball on to the post.
Aish did get the fourth goal the Royals deserved in injury time ball.
Collecting the ball from Turner, Aish played a one-two which saw him one-on-one with LeBlanc, and he calmly finished.
Strong games from defensive pairings Jed Collings and Neil laid the foundations, Jack in midfield worked tirelessly, while the class of Aish and Zambrano shone through to give the Royals a good foundation to kick-start their campaign and jump to seventh on the table.
In the other games, frontrunners Christchurch United thumped FC Twenty 11 4-0, Selwyn United and Nomads United settled for a 1-1 draw; Coastal Spirit lost to Ferrymead Bays 1-0 and Nelson Suburbs lost to Cashmere Technical 1-5.
— Neville Watson
