Caversham had to withstand immense pressure from Dunedin Technical but the champion side clawed back from a 1-0 deficit to grab a 2-1 win in the Football South Premier match at Tahuna Park on Saturday.
Technical took a deserved 39th-minute lead when Cam Higgins climbed high to head a Tim McLennan corner past Caversham keeper Liam Little.
The goal was the first Caversham has conceded this season in 489 minutes of FPL match play, and while that may actually be some kind of record, coach Tim Horner admitted that he almost felt relief that the impressive statistic was gone.
"It had begun to hang over us, and now we can get back to concentrating on the things that really matter,'' he said.
Immediately after conceding the goal, Caversham reacted with a sustained spell of attacking pressure that had Technical buckling on its own goal line.
In his first game back after a lengthy absence, keeper Tom Batty and some brave defending cleared four close-range shots that looked net-bound.
Lewis Jackson, Michael Hogan, Andrew Ridden and Tore Waechter all pulled the trigger as free kicks, corners and long throw-ins targeted Technical's goal mouth.
But Technical survived, and in reply sprung dangerous breakaway attacks as Alistair Rickerby raced forward in lung-bursting runs, and he was well supported by Tim McLennan and the impressive Enzo Avvenia.
It was knife-edge stuff as referee Andrea Verolino blew for halftime and both teams hurried off to hear tactical advice.
Whereas Technical had won plenty of loose ball in the first half, Caversham grabbed more than its share in the second spell, and it was no surprise when a well-practised move had Lewis Jackson back-head the ball across a crowded goal mouth and Hogan laced in the 69th-minute equaliser.
Red-hot changed to white-hot as both teams battled for supremacy and there would be Richter-scale recognition for some tackles as individual battles sprung up everywhere.
Caversham defender Craig Ferguson showed style and subtlety with feints and quick bursts forward, plus a few crunching tackles as Technical's Josh Stewart led the maroon line and McLennan and Rickerby tried to slice through gaps.
John Curwen and Higgins also put in hard physical shifts to deny the elusive Jackson and Hogan, while in mirror effect Caversham's Jude Fitzpatrick let nothing pass him, and in attack at set plays he was dangerous.
Both coaches played chess with substitutions, searching for the initiative.
Technical brought on Michael Neaverson, who looked effective but lasted only minutes after a solid tackle left him squirming and being helped off the field.
Veteran Justin Flaws had better luck, and swapped wings and skills with McLennan to confuse Caversham.
Coach Horner also made some substitutions but got an 81st-minute bonus when some neat interpassing set up Waechter, who hit a steam-hammer shot past Batty that was the winner at 2-1, and assistants emerged to attach red and white ribbons to the Blair Davidson Trophy.
Caversham captain Rhys Henderson, who had a fine match in defence, accepted the trophy from Football South patron Davidson, who commended both sides on a "terrific match played in great sporting spirit''.
At the Caledonian Ground, University won a seesaw match with Roslyn-Wakari 3-2.
The students were coasting at 2-nil after an own goal and a well hit shot by Henry Flood.
Roslyn hit back with two goals by in-form Tennessee Kinghorn, but Varsity had the last say with a 3-2 win to move into fourth place on the FPL table.
Mosgiel boosted its goal difference with a 7-1 win over Northern at Forrester Park, which places the Plainsmen in second-top spot.
In women's football, Roslyn-Wakari earned a hard-fought 3-1 win over University Women.
Goals came from Kushla Glover, Holly Johnstone and an own goal, while Rachel Christie scored for the students.
At the Caledonian Ground, Dunedin Technical Maroon beat University B Women 6-0.
