Dunmow Town won a seven-goal thriller at West Bergholt in the Essex & Suffolk Border League Premier Division.
The 4-3 win at the second-placed side came after a match with plenty of twists and turns.
Nick Dembele kicked off the action by putting Dunmow ahead on 18 minutes and a minute later, the Royals were almost two goals to the good.
Daniel Bryant, who was involved in the build up play for the first, found himself in space but his eventual shot was tipped round the post for a corner.
Mitchell May did make it two on 27 minutes, Tommy Tableporter and Gael Kileba involved before May rocketed it into the top corner from 25 yards.
West Bergholt pulled one back from the penalty spot after a handball but Dunmow would convert a penalty of their own before half-time, Dembele getting his second.
The second half was 10 minutes old when Bergholt scored their second but again it was short-lived, Alex Yearwood making it 4-2 to Dunmow.
Lee Townrow completed his hat-trick for the home side, and the scoring with 15 minutes to go but the action would continue with two players sent off and Bergholt finishing with nine men.
Kileba was on the end of the dismissal for Dunmow but they hung on for the three points.
High Easter fell to defeat in the Braintree & North Essex Sunday League John Horrocks Memorial Trophy, losing 4-2 to Premier League champions Swan Athletic.
Easter actually took the lead early on. A good free-kick from Josh Breeze was tipped over the top by Swan keeper Ky Richardson but from the resulting corner, again taken by Breeze, Jake Sutton tucked the ball home.
They held that lead until the second half and by the time they scored again, Tom Watkins the man on target, Swan had scored three times.
That made for a tense finish until Swan scored again late on.
Easter will host near neighbours AFC Barnston in their next trophy game on Sunday.
Barnston Res are through to a semi-final after a 6-5 penalty shoot-out win over Tavern.
The pair drew 2-2 after 90 minutes, Jake Turner crossing for Archie Driscoll to score their first and Lee Jarvis-Brown heading home on 90 minutes.
Tavern took the game to penalties with almost the last kick but Luke Johnson saved two spot-kicks to send Barno through.
Dunmow Rovers U13 girls picked up a pair of 2-2 draws in their last two games.
They started with a stalemate at St Cleres, Tayla Gentry scoring both to put Dunmow ahead only for the Stanford le Hope hosts to equalise five minutes from time.
They then went to Hullbridge and got a similar score.
This time Maisie Dowsett and Lucia Catto twice put Dunmow in front only for Hullbridge to twice come from behind to draw.
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