Ngezi Platinum Stars' unbeaten start to the season finally came to an end at the hands of an unlikely foe, with a first-half Gracious Muleya penalty powering Bulawayo Chiefs to a milestone 1-0 win over the pacesetters on Sunday.
There was not the slightest hint of an impending catastrophe as the log leaders made the trip to promoted Bulawayo Chiefs for the matchday 15 encounter in the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League.
Ngezi were looking red hot after a five-match winning streak in which they had scored 15 goals against three conceded to monopolise the tag of title favourites.
Bulawayo Chiefs, in contrast, have been struggling just to keep their heads above the water on their top-flight debut, with their points tally of 12 amounting to less than the 14 matches they have played.
But such is football, and by the end of proceedings on Sunday, Ngezi had endured a horrible afternoon as they finished the feisty encounter two men short following two second-half red cards to substitute Clive Augusto and Xolisani Moyo.
The fact that second-placed Platinum had thumped Shabanie Mine 4-0 in the Zvishavane derby only 24-hours earlier certainly did not make Ngezi's day any better.
Platinum have looked convincing in fits, and Saturday was one of those occasions when everything just seemed to fall into place.
It was only fitting that they emerge from a weekend of such quality level on 38 points with Ngezi. The defences of both teams have been equally mean with four goals conceded.
Coach Norman Mapeza seems to have settled on a consistent first eleven since resuming duty at the end of April following his sick leave, and Sunday's result represented Platinum's seventh win in the eight matches for which the former Warriors skipper has been in charge.
In their preferred 4-3-3 formation, the Miners have looked particularly fearsome in midfield, where former Harare City man Farai Madhananga and reigning Player of the Year Rodwell Chinyengetere have flourished either side of defensive linkman Petros Mhari.
Rahman Kutsanzira is also proving a marauding presence out wide, and it was the former Highlanders man who opened the scoring nine minutes in. Veteran forward Mkhokheli Dube doubled the advantage just before the break as the overwhelmed Shabanie side struggled to fashion a response.
Madhananga then put the game beyond the visitors with his fourth of the campaign three minutes after the resumption of hostilities. Ali Sadiki bagged Platinum's fourth late on.
Meanwhile, midfielder Nigel Makumbe capitalised on a defensive error to fire 10-men Highlanders to a 2-1 win over Harare City at Rufaro Stadium.
City's Wilfred Muvirimi had cancelled out Godfrey Makaruse's opener insider the first quarter-hour, and it looked as though inconsistent Bosso were headed for another frustrating afternoon after 18-year-old defender Andrew Mbeba was given his marching orders for a second-bookable offence moments after the break.
However, Makumbe won the day with a brilliant strike on the hour-mark following a howler by City captain Tendai Samanja.
There was no such relief for the league's other traditional giants, with both Dynamos and CAPS United going down to Triangle and Mutare City respectively.
Former Chicken Inn midfielder Collins Dhuwa helped himself to hat-trick as record title winners Dynamos lived up to their new-found reputation as top-flight minnows in a 3-0 defeat at Triangle.
Dhuwa, who joined the Sugar Cane Farmers at the start of the season after an unhappy spell at the Game Corks, scored twice inside the first half-hour to rattle the visitors. He added a third late on to seal a third defeat in a winless five match run for Dynamos.
Crucially, it is the Harare giants' eight loss in their 15 matches this term.
Perhaps the only consolation for Dynamos fans was news that derby rivals CAPS United had endured the ignominy of a 2-1 loss at home to bottom-placed Mutare City.
The afternoon started disastrously for CAPS, who saw goalkeeper Prosper Chigumba receive his marching orders in the 2nd minute after handling the ball outside the box to deny the visitors a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Mutare City's rising stars Brian Chinhoyi and David Mangezi then put the struggling top-flight newcomers 2-0 up by the break, and a John Zhuwawo penalty conversion in injury time was to prove a mere consolation for Lloyd Chitembwe's team.