Southern United's season went from bad to worse in Auckland yesterday.
The Dunedin team was humiliated 6-0 by Waitakere United, its seventh ASB Premiership loss on the trot.
It was Southern United's heaviest loss of the season, and saw it concede as many goals in one game as it has scored in 10 games this season.
With a lack of goals on his mind, Southern United coach Mike Fridge opted to play a 4-4-2 formation, with Lewis Jackson and Sam French up front.
However, the ploy did not work and the visitors were often caught napping at the back.
Waitakere United striker Sean Lovemore did most of the damage, scoring three goals and constantly threatening to cut Southern United open.
He opened the scoring in the 25th minute with a classy effort, when he fired a curling shot into the top-right corner of the net.
The goal followed a patch of dominance from the home side, which found itself camped inside the Southern United half for much of the game.
Lovemore made it 2-0 just 8min later when he beat the offside trap and danced around Batty in another classy finish.
Jake Porter practically put the game to bed 3min before halftime when he poked a loose ball into the back of the net, after Southern United goalkeeper Tom Batty saved his initial effort.
The goals did not let up in the second half, as Lovemore completed his hat-trick in the 58th minute when he fired brilliantly into the empty net from near the edge of the box.
Jake Butler and Dylan Manickum scored classy goals in the final couple of minutes to complete the romp.
Southern United's next game is against Wellington at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Sunday.
ASB Premiership
The scores
Waitakere United 6
Sean Lovemore 25, 33, 58; Jake Porter 42; Jake Butler 89; Dylan Manickum 90
Southern United 0
Halftime: 3-0
