Goals to Liam Thornton, Ryan Clarke, Chris Fayers and Matt Comerford secured the three points, while the hosts finished a man down after former Maitland goalkeeper Benn Kelly was sent off in the lead-up to the third goal.

Maitland almost got off to the perfect start in the fourth minute, however Liam Thornton’s looping header from a Shane Cansdell-Sherriff free kick bounced back off the crossbar.

Thornton went one better on the half hour mark to open the scoring after another header looped over Kelly and into the net, this time from a Josh Dutton-Black free kick.

The Magpies started the second half brightly and almost immediately doubled their advantage, as Kelly was forced to save down low from a powerful Comerford strike.

There would however, be no reprieve for the Lakes defence, as the lead was doubled less than a minute later.

Fayers capitalised on an error at the back as he stole possession inside the box to set up Clarke who had the simple task of firing home from close range.

Youngster Matt Sokulsky then had an eventful 10 minutes, as he cleared a Lakes header off the line at the back post to preserve the two-goal lead, before playing a large part in the Magpies’ third goal in comical circumstances.

In the 68 th minute, Lakes ‘keeper Kelly slipped as he went to control a bouncing ball, regained his footing and tried to dribble around Sokulsky, who stripped him of the ball and charged towards an empty net.

In an attempt to win the ball back, Kelly dived in and brought Sokulsky down, and was subsequently shown a straight red card.

Substitute goalkeeper Kannon Ford came on and got his first touch of the game by saving Comerford’s powerful penalty kick, before Chris Fayers somehow got the pivotal touch in the ensuing goalmouth scramble to make it 3-0.

Comerford, however, would not be denied a goal and made it 4-0 in the 72nd minute with the pick of the bunch.

The industrious winger collected possession in his own half, before embarking on a 50-yard run, beating three defenders in the process, before going one-on- one with Ford and sliding the ball underneath him to put the icing on the cake.

Maitland weren’t content with four and almost hit a fifth on numerous occasions. Ford denied Ben Martin in the 83rd minute with a stunning reflex save from point blank range, before Jye Mackellar was denied twice – once by goal-line defence, the other by the post.

In the end, the Magpies would have to settle for the four goals as they look ahead to next Sunday afternoon’s home game at Cooks Square Park against Broadmeadow Magic, where the season will be on the line against another side desperately chasing finals football.