Dunedin Technical repulsed a spirited challenge from Mosgiel to stretch its lead in the Footballsouth Premier League with a 3-0 win at Memorial Park on Saturday.
In a blistering first five minutes, Technical laid siege to Mosgiel's goal and, after Alistair Rickerby hammered a shot against his old club's goalpost, a series of corners penned Mosgiel on its own goal line.
Eventually a weak clearance sat up in front of Blair Scoullar and, from just outside the box, he drove in a powerful shot that gave Technical a lead after eight minutes.
Worse was to follow for the Plainsmen as striker Phil Kelly strained a hamstring and limped off, leaving the blue attack looking toothless.
To their credit, Mike McGarry's players climbed back into the game, and strong runs from Reagan Coldicott and Shayne Danielson found gaps in the Technical defence.
However, just as both teams were thinking about half-time, Technical's 17-goal striker Aaron Burgess made it 18 when he materialised in the crowded goalmouth and firmly nodded Technical into a 2-0 lead as referee Phil Lyall blew for the break.
Again Mosgiel went on to battle toe to toe with Technical, but an over-enthusiastic tackle by Morgan Day on Andy Coburn, plus a wrestling match on the ground, had referee Lyall flashing a red card at Day.
Reduced to 10 men, Mosgiel was on the back foot.
Technical's Tristan Prattley and Justin Flaws rampaged up the wings, Coburn and George Milne dominated midfield and, while keeper Pat Howell was the busiest player on the park, his Technical opposite number, Cam Burns, was rarely tested.
Rickerby finished off a good cross from Flaws with eight minutes to go, and Technical cruised to victory.
In a quagmire at the Gardens, Roslyn-Wakari fired a few blanks before dispatching Northern 2-0.
Coach Terry Boylan said Roslyn missed many chances but the goals, scored by Tim Dalman and Sean Brand, were top class.
Caversham had too much class and experience for the Otago Youth team, flaying the lads 10-0, and serving up a painful lesson in accurate passing, clever running off the ball, and lethal finishing.
Goals came in bunches from Tom Jackson (3), Dave Dugdale (3), Robbie Deeley (3) and in a cameo return from the United States, Patrick Fleming also got on the scoresheet.
Still aiming at a top-four place, University underlined its challenge with a 3-1 win over Grants Braes to draw level with Caversham on 12 points.
John Lang showed Varsity's firepower by grabbing the first two goals, and Dom Higgins completed the scoring.
Green Island plundered a rare haul of maximum points in Invercargill by beating Spirit FC 4-1 helping Ryan Atherton romp into second place on the Golden Boot race with a hat trick to lift his total to nine goals.
