How unfortunate that Wairarapa United's upset 2-0 win over previously unbeaten Wellington Olympic in their Central League match at Howard Booth Park, Carterton on Saturday won't be remembered for the pleasing quality of the football played by the home team.
This was a hugely important result for Wairarapa United in that it keeps them in the race for the league title and, what's more, their two-goal advantage was a fair enough indication of the merits of the two sides.
But when those in the good-sized crowd look back on this fixture it will be the ill-discipline of Olympic which first comes to mind.
Theirs was a performance hardly befitting a side who had gone seven matches without defeat.
By the end of the 90 minutes they were pretty much reduced to a rabble, with teammate arguing with teammate, foul language often being plainly heard as they constantly challenged the decisions of the referee and linesmen and the odd spectator being given a verbal spray as well.
The fact they had just the one player sent off for alleged dissent late in proceedings was certainly more a case of good luck than good management.
Through all this Wairarapa United largely maintained their composure.
Sure, there were occasions when some of their players threatened to lose their cool but generally they were quickly brought to heel by teammates around them quick to realise that fighting fire with fire would be an unprofitable exercise in this case.
After all, Olympic were clearly imploding under their own steam without needing any help from their opposition.
It would be wrong, however, to assume that Wairarapa United were the dominant side from go to whoa. It was, in fact, Olympic who had the edge in territory and possession in the first half and several times they had the home team defence scrambling to keep them out. Not that Wairarapa United were devoid of scoring chances either. There were a couple of strong attacking forays in the opening stanzas which could well have produced goals but for the athleticism of the Olympic goalkeeper.
The second spell was a completely different story.
Whatever coach Phil Keinzley said it worked a treat for United clearly looked the better unit, aided and abetted of course by the fact that the more this half progressed the more Olympic lost the plot.
A well-taken goal by Seule Soromon gave Wairarapa United a deserved 1-0 lead and rather than sit on this advantage they continued to launch attack after attack and were rewarded when Waisake Sabatu, just minutes after coming off the reserves bench, found himself unmarked and made no mistake with his header. Wairarapa United 2, Olympic 0.
Not surprisingly that second goal did bring a change of tactics for Wairarapa United with the emphasis over the last 15 minutes or so being on denying Olympic any chance of a comeback and that was achieved comfortably enough, a plucky save from goalkeeper Matt Borren being about the only time when they were under pressure.
While their victory was largely due to their all-round excellence there were some outstanding individual contributions to the Wairarapa United effort, none more so than that by one of their latest recruits, Frenchman Alessney Cissako.
He not only used his height to telling effect but was equally as impressive with his ability to elude two or three would-be tacklers in a confined space before timing his pass perfectly-and accurately-to his supports.
Many of his side's most dangerous attacks were initiated by him.
There was plenty to admire too in the high workrate of Junior All White Dale Higham, who often worried the Olympic defence with his speed and determination and still found time to do more than his share of defensive work as well and Adam Cowan, Nathan Cooksley and Miroslav Tvaroh were all typically assertive in everything they did.
And then there was Borren in goal, calm, cool and collected no matter what the situation.
Results of other Central League matches played on Saturday: Lower Hutt City 1, Tawa 0; Miramar Rangers 3, Napier City Rovers 2; Western Suburbs 1, Petone 1; Upper Hutt City 2, Wellington United 1.
Competition points with 10 series of matches remaining: Wellington Olympic 21, Miramar Rangers 20, Wairarapa United 14, Lower Hutt City 11, Western Suburbs 11, Upper Hutt City 11, Petone 10, Napier City Rovers 10, Wellington United 4, Tawa 1.
Wairarapa United are again in action today, playing Miramar Rangers in a Chatham Cup elimination fixture at Dave Farrington Park, Miramar.