Western United have kept their hopes of an A-League Men premiership alive with a pitiless 6-0 thumping of injury-riddled Perth Glory in Launceston.
A first-half hat-trick from Lachie Wales combined with goals from Dylan Pierias, Aleksandar Prijovic, and Dylan Wenzel-Halls secured their side a Saturday win that closes the gap on Melbourne City to five points with two games in hand.
The margin of victory represented United's biggest ever and equalled a 6-0 loss to Parramatta Power in the 2003/04 season as the worst in Glory's history.
Effectively forced to play their youth team due to injuries, Glory remain eight points adrift at the foot of the ALM table and appears certain to record a first-ever wooden spoon.
Coming off a 4-1 defeat to Wellington, freefalling Glory loomed as a potentially perfect pick-me-up for United and that's just what they got.
Getting down the left, Ben Garrucio cut the ball back for Connor Pain to send in a shot in the 25th minute that ricocheted off the shins of Wales and wrongfooted Liam Reddy for United's opener.
Wales might not have known much about what was his first goal of the season but he was much clearer with his intent two minutes later when he volleyed an effort past Reddy.
It was 3-0 in the 34th minute when Pierias met a Pain cross with a first-time effort after the latter was played into space by Wales.
United had just 41 per cent of possession but this effectively played right into their hands as they lethally picked their moments.
Wales completed his hat-trick in first-half injury time when he met a Garrucio cross.
Prijovic, having had a previous spot-kick saved, converted a penalty to make it 5-0 in the 51st minute and Glory's miserable day was completed in the 83rd by Wenzel-Halls.
