Bay United created a couple of scoring opportunities but lacked intent and weren't strong enough on the ball to earn the right to score.
A question from Bay United coach Brett Angell in the 38th minute gave an insight on where the hosts were in their mind games.
"Where's that going to?" Angell screamed at keeper Hanks after a clearance kick that ended up 10m over the sideline in Waitakere territory.
"No one was showing [a hand]," Hanks hollered back, which Angell graciously accepted before planting his frame into the plastic chair in his box.
Bay United had stopped communicating even though the game had a drinks break in the sweltering 26C day at the Bluewater Stadium.
However, two minutes later they were switched on when Thurston exchanged a few tit-for-tat passes to put right winger Wes Cain into the 18m box where he dribbled to put Waitakere United goalkeeper Liam Anderson on the wrong foot to drive the ball. The keeper got a foot in the way but the ball still rolled into the back of the net for a 2-1 scoreline.
But the Bill Robertson-captained Magpies weren't done.
In the 42nd minute, striker Bjorn Christensen received a ball about 6m inside the box only to lay it back to Thurston whose pile driver clipped the crossbar but, cruelly, bounced back into play.
The hosts raided the goalmouth in the next three minutes but the Waitakere United defence desperately hung in, although Bay left winger Gavin Hoy collected a yellow card for what the referee deemed a crude tackle as he and keeper Anderson raced for a 50-50 ball near the left upright.
Just as they had done in the first half, Waitakere drew first blood in the 51st minute from captain Jacob Butler cool as a cucumber after curling the ball to the roof of the net on the left upright to extend the lead to 3-1.
Referee Waldron awarded the free kick on the top of the 18m box after Bay United leftback fouled Waitakere right winger Yuki Ohtsuka from behind.
Hoy had a great chance to narrow the deficit in the 71st minute, soon after another drinks break, from a Cain cross in the middle of the park but drove the ball straight into the hands of keeper Anderson with the retreating defence well and truly beaten.
Substitute centre-mid Karan Mandair, in for Alex Palezevic, also had the fans agonising when he latched on to a feebly cleared ball but his shot didn't dip enough to sail over the crossbar from 22m out.
It was Hoy's turn to reload in the 79th minute but Waitakere keeper Anderson had parried his drive and then defied another attempt from centre-mid Birhanu Taye from the ensuing cornerkick.
Waitakere United seemed content to see the rest of the minutes drain away despite gifting free kicks, as a grinning David Parkinson showed in the 83rd minute after some shirt pulling to stall any concerted efforts from the frustrated hosts.
