Wairarapa United player Cameron Lindsay remonstrated with new Bay resident referee Martin Roil but the centreback was guilty of employing a tired and old defender's tactic of going up for a cross in the box to use an extended arm from behind to ensure Kilkolly didn't defy gravity.
It started raining cats and dogs soon after with fast-forming puddles disrutping the flow of the game but failing to stump concerted waves of attack at both ends.
In the 37th minute, Wairarapa striker Seuele Soromon apologised after pushing a clear chance in front of the goalmouth over the crossbar.
Captain Josh Stephenson gave Wairarapa a fright in the 42nd minute when Kilkolly drew another free-kick about 25m out. His ensuing worm-burner worked its way around the wall but goalkeeper Coey Turipa made a superb diving parry in slippery conditions.
When the second half resumed the rain subsided and sun shone but the puddles persisted, dictating play.
It was Ifill and Soromon who threatened the Blues' goalmouth with a long-ball ploy to neutralise the puddles.
Perhaps the most heart-stopping moment was when Wairarapa's Alex Cox put a cross through from the right flank that beat the entire Blues wall and goalkeeper Joshua Hill to pull up almost point-blank in front of the far post before the keeper casually collected.
But three minutes later, Ifill didn't need a second invite when, with all the time in the world in the box, he took a touch before drilling Alex Ridsdale's cross from the left flank into the net for the equaliser.
Rovers rightback Blake Koolen should take a bow for denying a goal to Soromon, who had just had a quick chat with coach Phile Keinzley, after a defensive clearance kick from keeper Turipa beat everyone through the spine of the field before keeper Hill claimed it in his box in the 60th minute.
However, seven minutes later the green brigade were celebrating a 2-1 lead when Mason-Smith won an aerial tussle with Hill when he nodded in a cross into the goalmouth although Ifill had rightly grilled him minutes earlier for not muscling in more into crosses.
But it was the Bluewater Stadium faithful who left cheering and high-fiving in the 70th minute when Wilson made a deft cross from the right flank into the face of the goalmouth where Kilkolly skilfully snuck in front of his defender to head the ball past Turipa to level terms at 2-all.
But that was short-lived when Ifill returned the favour, in almost an identical play, after receiving the ball on the left flank to feed Ridsdale to drill the ball into the net, 3-2, in the 77th minute.
Two minutes later, the writing was on the wall when Mason-Smith headed in a cross from the right flank which clipped the upright and rolled into the net to extend the lead to 4-2.
Kilkolly had other ideas in the 85th minute as the Rovers were stung into action. The striker nailed his second hattrick in the Easter weekend when he teed up a ball from 25m out to curl it into the roof of the net, past a diving Tupira to narrow the margin to 4-3.
