A starless Tech College Old Boys did not have enough bullets in the gun to put down Palmerston North's College after a grinding Manawatu club home game on Saturday.
After opening the scoring at Gonville, Tech were stung by two goals in the space of five minutes after half an hour of play.
The 2-1 halftime score could not be improved by either side as Tech struggled to find an equaliser without their key forwards Martin Atkinson and Kane Watkins, who along with Martin's father and coach Langley Atkinson, were at the national under-21 tournament.
Coming in as caretaker coach, former player Trent Williamson said they were missing four players but still should have closed the match out.
"We had enough opportunity.
"They went all right, it was just legs.
"It's always a tight one [playing College]. We just had no reserves, they ran us ragged."
Tech had a good start after absorbing early pressure, with Patrick Reynolds telegraphing a long strike to open the game's account in the 20th minute.
His team still had a lot of work to do in goal, as College worked up for some penalty strikes.
The dam broke in the 30th minute as College found the wood at the back of the goal from another penalty strike, then scored on the breakaway to really hurt Tech near the break.
It got little better in the second stanza.
Luke Kirk had been working hard through the first half but a little back chat earned him a two minute breather from a green card.
Tech's Brad Williamson also had to take a 120-second spell.
"You get it quite often now," said Williamson of referees going to their pockets.
In Palmerston North, Rangers brought a bit of respectability back to their season in a 7-3 loss to a hot and cold Marist.
After double-digit maulings in the past two weekends, Rangers scored first, inside a minute.
Marist reasserted themselves to take a 4-1 lead into the break against the youngsters but Rangers held their heads up for a 3-2 second half.
Manager Bryce Balsley was pleased they had lifted themselves above the capitulations against Massey and HSHC.
"We've been starting horribly, 2-3 goals after a few minutes.
"If they put their minds to it, they can actually compete."
Monty Blackwood scored a double and was strong up front alongside Lee Moir.
Ryan Balsley got the third goal from a drag flick in the corner and did well in the midfield.
Sam Collins, Mason Glenny and Tui Molcson also raised their game from previous weeks.
It will be a local derby at Gonville this Saturday for Tech and Rangers.
In the women's Manawatu club action, Collegians would have been very disappointed to come away from Palmerston North with a 1-0 loss to High School.
The match with the students had been targeted by the team to pick up a win.
TCOB women had their game with Massey deferred to another time, due to the Manawatu team losing so many players to Masters and Under 21 representative duty.
Collegians play College this Saturday while Techno face HSHC.