Welwyn Garden City produced their best result of the season as their spluttering Southern League campaign finally looks to have burst into life.
They won 4-1 away to Leighton Town to make it three wins and one defeat in their last five Division One Central fixtures.
And they showed a ruthless side to their play too, taking full advantage of a red card for the hosts to score two more goals in a marauding second period.
Simply put, last year's Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division champions were no match for the Citizens on this day, City lifting themselves up to 12th in the table and closer now to the play-off places than the relegation ones.
While the second period was one way traffic for WGC, the first was a much more even affair with the sides turning round at a very fair 1-1.
Dernell Wynter forced home keeper Xavier Comas Leon into a sharp save on six minutes while at the other end, City's Charlie Crowley had to push an accurate Ben Shepherd free-kick over the top.
Leighton rocked WGC on 13 minutes with the opening goal, their defence twice failing to remove danger from the right which allowed the prolific Ali Bangura to drive the ball beyond Crowley from the edge of the box.
It led to a purple patch for the hosts, the outstanding James Kaloczi twice having to rescue matters with goal-saving interceptions.
WGC also survived a scare when Alex Harris brought down home winger Louie Barnett with a badly mistimed tackle.
With the home crowd of 360 baying for a red card, the referee was satisfied to award only a yellow.
But it all changed on 27 minutes when Cyrus Babaie was brought down on the edge of the box.
Kaloczi hit the wall with attempt one but lofted the second back across goal for Babaie to meet at the back post with a diving header.
That was his second goal in two games and he made it three in two in the opening moments of the second-half.
Debutant Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo slipped a clever pass into the Leighton area and Babaie ran in from the left to supply a neat, low finish for 2-1.
Within five minutes, Leighton were down to 10 with ex-Citizen Charlie Pattison dismissed for a tackle on Brad Wadkins and from that point, Welwyn took over the game.
They scored an outstanding third just past the hour, probably their goal of the season so far.
Some slick, inter-passing saw Wadkins played into the area. He cleverly back-heeled the ball into the path of Wynter, who took a touch before laying the ball into the path of the incoming Soulya-Osekanongo.
From there a beautifully struck, bending effort flew past Comas Leon.
Jake Watkinson went close to cancelling that out immediately, his header going mere inches over the bar, but that was the last home attempt on the WGC goal.
Babaie could and should have grabbed a hat-trick, firing two efforts wildly over the crossbar, but a fourth did come from the returning Lucas Jordan.
It was the youngster's first game in two months after a broken foot bone and he showed no ill-effects, providing a slick, close-range finish to a Wynter cross to put the icing on the cake.
WGC: Crowley, Harris (Brown 73), Kaloczi, Steele, Bryant, Mulley, Soulya-Osekanongo, Wadkins (Pollock 86), Jones (Jordan 73), Wynter, Babaie.
Subs (not used): Olagunju, Green.
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