Ben Polak scored his second double in as many matches as Nelson Suburbs upset third-placed Coastal Spirit 5-3 on the road on Sunday.
It’s the side’s second major victory in Canterbury after toppling Christchurch United last month.
Suburbs got off to a flier with American John Reynolds and Labu Pan striking within the first five minutes at Tane Norton Park.
Ben bagged his brace in the 20th and 30th minutes for a 4-0 half time lead.
Coastal pulled one back before Noah Platt made it five for Suburbs.
The home side then got two late goals to make the losing scoreline more respectable.
The fourth win of the season lifted Suburbs to sixth place after 10 rounds.
It will head back to Christchurch this weekend for a tough third round Chatham Cup match against Nomads, which won 4-1, in the league, at Saxton Fields last month.
Meanwhile, the Nelson Suburbs Women’s team was held to a nil-all draw at home on Sunday by Roslyn Wakari, which was below it on the table.
Suburbs is still fifth but now faces a challenging away game in the Kate Sheppard Cup this weekend against Cashmere Technical, which is unbeaten in the league.
