Caversham and Dunedin Technical kept their collective feet on the accelerator with six goals each in Saturday's Footballsouth Premier League games.
Once again, Robbie Deeley starred for Caversham with a hat trick in the 6-1 win over Green Island at Sunnyvale, taking his total to nine goals in four games.
Deeley's attacking form will no doubt please his father, Andy, who is the Caversham manager and played four times for New Zealand and scored six goals in the late-1980s.
Also on Caversham's scoresheet was Harley Rodeka (two) and Ant Hancock, with Cody Robinson grabbing the Green Island goal.
Clearly, the main contenders for honours realise the importance of boosting goal difference, and Technical also hit Grants Braes for six at the Caledonian Ground.
There was no scoring in the first 55 minutes, but the roof fell in on Braes when young striker Mike Still scored twice, and the rest were spread among Mike Flaws, Andy Coburn and Al Rickerby, plus an own goal.
Third-placed Mosgiel dropped points in Invercargill, where the Spirit beat the Plainsmen 3-2 in a cliffhanger in where goals by Shayne Danielson and Dom Vettise were not enough for the visitors.
Player-coach Barry Gardiner, striker Mark Caldow and Carl Henderson got goals to help the Spirit move into mid-table.
At Ellis Park, Roslyn-Wakari turned the screws in the second half to beat Queenstown Rovers 3-2 with a gutsy late-diving header from Damian Foster.
Queenstown's Lucas Costill scored early and a flowing move had Marvin Masso drive in a fine goal to be level at the break.
Peter Rae made an intelligent run to turn in a near-post goal for Roslyn, but the goal of the match was created when Tom Connor set up Sam Mepham to hit a screamer past Dan Bocciatos.
The South American keeper went on to inspire his team by saving a Connor penalty which should have clinched the match.
Queenstown fought back and hit Roslyn's post at one stage, but the home side's steadily increasing pressure created a string of set plays that had Rovers buckling before Foster administered the coup de grace.
The third 3-2 result of the day was at the Gardens, where Northern edged out University with all the goals being scored in the first half.
Referee Jeff Clamp's starting whistle was still echoing when Dom Higgins tucked away the first of his two goals for University, but Northern hit back almost immediately when Tim Smith hammered in the first of his two goals, and Jason Burgess also scored.
The surface of the Gardens ground rarely encourages cultured play, but spectators were entertained by end-to-end football.
Smith was a standout for Northern, and University's Luke Macris and Higgins were the pick of the students.
The result pushes Northern up into the group of three with six points, but all eyes are now on leaders Caversham and Technical, who play at Tonga Park in the next round.
