All the pre-match talk in Hawke's Bay Today was about Godwin Addai, sporting an almost similar hairdo to Bowen, but the Montreal-born midfielder didn't make it off the bench for the visitors.
Bowen didn't find the net but was a thorn in Bay United's behind, at times emulating Wellington Phoenix midfielder Roly Bonevacia, to earn two penalty kicks from referee Nick Waldron.
"I'm not sure about either one," said injured captain Finlay Milne who didn't play last night.
Nevertheless, Milne accepted culpability on the grounds that the Bay put themselves in positions of confrontation through their own errors.
"We had sloppy moments, we didn't win 50-50 situations and weren't moving the ball from where we would have liked to."
While they are still on the top of the table after six rounds, the Bay have two draws and a loss with Auckland City likely to assume the mantle of pace setters when they resume play from four games.
Milne said while it was disappointing to lose any game, the Bay would move on to their next game against Team Wellington at Park Island on January 10.
Last night, a TV commentator kept calling him Sam Mason-Smith but it was a distinctively bearded striker Hamish Watson who drew first blood in just the fourth minute, after receiving a ball from captain Corey Chettleburgh who had threaded the ball up the right flank.
Watson took the ball around to the near post before casually tucking it under goalkeeper Daniel Robinson for the 1-0 lead.
In the 22nd minute, Waitakere levelled 1-1 after Waldron deemed defender Sean Liddicoat to have fouled Bowen.
Captain Jake Butler had Hill diving the wrong way from the ensuing penalty kick.
The hosts went up 2-1 in the 39th minute when rightback Kohei Matsumoto's defensive chest back to keeper Hill lost its legs, enabling Bowen to pounce on it to beat the keeper. With the gaping goalmouth beckoning, the gloveman recovered to tackle the striker from behind for another penalty kick. This time, midfielder Brandon Barnes had Hill fishing on the wrong side of the net.
Frustrated as Hill might have been, it was the second time in the half he and his Beefeaters had been caught talking in a different dialect.
If the Bay were dismissive of Bowen until then they certainly got his attention in the 44th minute when he took on defender Harrison Nash before back-heeling the ball, only to catch the upright and ricochet back into play.
Minutes before halftime, Bowen gifted Sean Lovemore a scoring chance but the ex-Bay player's drive lacked impetus.
Matsumoto was still Bay's standout in a fruitless second half that yielded no goals.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
Heartstopper: Take your pick - one of several missed scoring opportunities as Samuel Mason-Smith, Hamish Watson, Kohei Matsumoto and Tom Biss could have found the net.
Turning point: When Bay defender Matsumoto's defensive chest back to goalkeeper Joshua Hill didn't make it into the 18m box for the ensuing penalty kick in the 39th minute that gave Waitakere United the lead.
Player of the match: Waitakere United frontman Nathaniel Bowen who stole the thunder from fellow striker Sean Lovemore to be a constant thorn in the Bay United defence's side despite failing to find the net.
Scorers: Waitakere Utd 2 (Jake Butler 22nd penalty, Brandon Barnes 39th penalty) Hawke's Bay Utd 1 (Hamish Watson 4th). Halftime: 2-1.
