Jamie Masson and Mitch Megginson both bagged braces to push Cove Rangers to a 5-1 win over Brechin City.
Masson found the net either side of Ryan McCord’s equaliser, taking his tally to 10 for the season, before Megginson delivered a goal of real class to put them two clear.
Skipper Megginson whipped home his second and Cove’s fourth with eight minutes to go before Fraser Fyvie’s long-range effort squirmed in.
Brechin had threatened to frustrate their high-flying opponents but were undone in the second half, with four goals in 20 minutes killing off their hopes.
It keeps Paul Hartley’s side top of the pile in League 2, with Edinburgh City also winning at Elgin City.
Cove were without Declan Glass, who had returned to Dundee United early from his loan spell and started for the Arabs against Queen of the South. New loan signing Josh Mulligan, from United’s city rivals Dundee, was on the bench.
Brechin had the better of the early openings, with Olly Hamilton sending Ryan McCord’s cross just wide of goal and Dougie Hill heading straight at Stuart McKenzie.
However, the visitors, looking to maintain their position at the top of League 2, began to fashion opportunities through skipper Mitch Megginson.
Blair Yule fizzed the ball into the 16-goal striker on the edge of the box and he drew a smart stop out of Lewis McMinn on 20 minutes. Harry Milne was next to feed Megginson and McMinn made an almost identical save, with Cove adamant John Robertson had been hacked down by Sean McIntosh as he chased the rebound.
Robertson was to be involved in the game’s opener on 31 minutes, however, spying Masson at the edge of the box from a right-sided corner and rolling it to him, with the winger driving through McMinn’s legs.
Cove were now the dominant side, with McMinn required to keep out Milne and Connor Scully, while Megginson hit the base of the post.
Bottom-club Brechin remained resolute though. They had remained in the game and were able to equalise eight minutes into the second half, with McCord collecting a cross from former Cove striker Paul McManus and picking out the bottom corner.
The goal stunned Cove into action. Robertson was denied with a spectacular headed clearance by Hill and Fraser Fyvie rattled a free-kick over McMinn’s crossbar.
But they were indebted to Masson again for putting them back in front, making the most of a blocked Brechin clearance to dig out a shot and beat McMinn.
It took Megginson to make the game safe on 74 minutes, volleying in superbly from Fyvie’s right-wing cross.
There was more still to come from the League 2 leaders, with Megginson getting his second with a crisp finish and Fyvie taking aim from 30 yards, with McMinn spilling the ball into the net to complete the scoring.