Waikato FC coach Mark Cossey left Porritt Stadium yesterday knowing full well how Ricki Herbert must have felt after the Wellington Phoenix slumped to a worst-ever 7-1 A-League loss in Sydney on Saturday night.
Less than 24 hours later, Cossey was left contemplating an even more embarrassing 9-1 loss toASB Premiership leaders Waitakere United.
In equalling the league record they set over Canterbury United in 2007-08 and which was repeated last season by Canterbury United over YoungHeart Manawatu, Paul Marshall's Waitakere handed hapless Waikato their biggest loss - two goals worse than the 7-1 hiding, also by Waitakere, in 2005-06.
It could have been a lot worse. Waitakere scored six unanswered goals between the 10th and 27th minutes to lead 6-0 at the break. Debutante Sunny Singh needed just five minutes after his 55th-minute introduction to score his first goal but that was a temporary stay before the visitors scored three in the last 10 minutes as Allan Pearce and Roy Krishna completed hat-tricks.
