Dominic Knaggs was the toast of Colney Heath after scoring his first goal for the club.
It came at the 99th time of asking and helped secure a 4-3 success at Crawley Green, a second win of the year in Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division.
The Magpies were also in charge but it was still nervy towards the end.
Billy Owen put them in front on 12 minutes after good work by Jack Percy but Crawley drew level from the penalty spot, Garry Jones scoring after a foul by Jamie Willing.
Knaggs then had his moment in the second half, on hand to poke the ball home after a shot from Ibrahim Camara had bounced off the post.
Four minutes later Kai Thomas-Fraser set up Sam Denham to hit a sizzling effort into the bottom corner for 3-1 but back came the hosts, Keane Fullwood on target.
The Mags wrapped it up on 90 minutes with Thomas-Fraser quickest to react after Jordan Kinoshi's shot had been saved but Crawley still had time to get a third of their own through another Jones penalty, this one given after handball against Sam Doolan.
Colney Heath's U18s won 3-0 at home to Heybridge Swifts in the FA Youth Cup thanks to goals from Tanaka Marowa, Godfrey Opoku and Nathan Merris.
Jack McShane and Harley Fonti scored as the reserves drew 2-2 at home to Baldock Town Res in the Herts Senior County League Premier Division.
McShane's sister, Rebecca, was on target for Harpenden Town as they beat Biggleswade United 2-1 away in Eastern Region Division One North.
Hers was the first and came on 16 minutes after a cross from Melody Jones was chested down to her by Sophia Amanor.
Three minutes later it was 2-0 as Amanor got her goal, outpacing her marker to reach a Jaime Curtain through ball and fire low past the keeper.
Curtain almost made it three, as did Chloe Dinsey whose effort hit the crossbar and bounced out.
McShane could have had another in the second half and Hannah Pope and Curtain both had efforts saved before the home side pulled one back through Lauren Wyatt.
Biggleswade then hit the bar through Tayla Murray but Harpenden held firm to take the three points.
Colney Heath ladies played their last friendly before the season starts and got a 2-1 win over Hitchin Belles with goals from Lacey Kavanagh-Blake and Mia Simmonds.
St Albans City snapped a three-game streak without a win by beating Dover Athletic 2-0 at Clarence Park.
They had drawn 0-0 on Saturday away to Welling United, following losses to Torquay, Taunton and Bath.
Goals from Andronicos Georgiou and Mitchell Weiss brought them three much-needed points, something manager David Noble agreed with.
"It was a good win and a clean sheet," he said. "That's two clean sheets in four days.
"Mitch does brilliantly for the first goal and Andros walks it in. It settled us down.
"Defensively we were solid bar one where we got a little bit lucky."
And now attention turns to another home match against Dartford.
"It will be a difficult game," said Noble. "They are a team that give 100 per cent for their manager.
"Yes, they probably haven't started like they wanted but it will still be tough."
Saints will head to Leiston in the FA Cup second qualifying round after the draw was made on Monday.
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