Then began Petone's universally much-maligned bunker mentality to frustrate the hosts, before hoisting their hands in the air after 95 minutes of arm wrestle for a colossal upset.
Controversy reigned after Rovers midfielder Tom Biss had slotted the ball into the net past Petone goalkeeper Reed Collingwood in the 29th minute but referee's assistant Gordon Harris ruled his run from 30m out offside.
Minutes before halftime, Rovers player/coach Bill Robertson hollered at another ref's assistant, Gareth Sheehan, about fellow Bay official Harris: "How bad is he, eh?"
Robertson, captain Danny Wilson and right wing Miles John confronted the officials in the middle of the park at the break but referee Matt Stoneman, no stranger to controversy, pointed them towards the changing rooms after lending them an ear for a few minutes.
It is hardly doom and gloom for the table-topping Blues but, as much as the Park Island faithful screamed at the officials, the problem lay with the Rovers.
They started off with patches of passing and movement but seemed bereft of ideas in the final third, despite missing several gilt-edged chances.
Often Wilson led the launching of long balls in the hope of getting lucky to counter Petone's bunker mentality, despite a lion's share of possession and territory.
"I think our end product wasn't to the high standards we've delivered in previous games, which is apparent with us not scoring a goal today," Robertson said.
Petone scored early and then parked behind the ball for 85 minutes to make life difficult for the Rovers, he lamented.
"They had 10 players behind the ball and made it hard for us to break them down, so full credit to them."
The Rovers have conceded goals early in four games but have bounced back, averaging four goals a game.
"So we create chances and have taken them [but today] we didn't and it has cost us the game."
Robertson "potentially" took the loss as a timely lesson for the Blues.
"Maybe if there was any complacency slipping, hopefully now that has been quashed. It's also a wake-up call for the players that this is a tough league, so in order to win it we have to perform every week," he said, factoring in this Sunday's 2pm kick-off at Park Island in the Chatham Cup (national knockout) clash against fellow league side Stop Out.
Substitutions seemed long overdue, with just Fane Morgan injected in the dying minutes, but the coach felt the 11 on the park were causing enough problems and creating chances.
Petone coach Graham Little was happy his troops stuck to the game plan of planting a player up front and sitting back.
"We knew they were going to throw the kitchen sink at us and they did," Little said, believing the Rovers had few chances because his men defended commendably.
He lauded his club for letting them jet in on Saturday night for a well-earned rest, breaking from the tradition of travelling on game days.
Little felt quite often Petone did not get the rub of the green from the referees but, ironically, yesterday they did.
"I thought the Rovers' goal in the first half [from Biss] was on side but, you know, we'll take that because I think we deserve three points today," he said, mindful the Blues were going to be "cheesed off" regardless after losing their unbeaten run.
"We nullified them pretty well and they converted to the long ball."
Red-head midfielder George Milne had the uncanny ability to commit fouls for a rash of warnings from Stoneman but not receive even a yellow card. He even succeeded in drawing a yellow-carded foul from Rovers counterpart, Miles John, in the second half.
Little said chasing the ball on a wide pitch at Park Island was ill-advised for Petone, who moved up to fifth place on the league ladder.
