Elgin City destroyed Berwick with a performance assistant manager Gavin Price rated as the club’s best at Borough Briggs in two years.
Shane Sutherland’s hat-trick, a clinical Brian Cameron double and a Daniel Moore goal took the visitors apart and Price praised the determined efforts of his players.
City moved to within two points of League 2 leaders Forfar with the Loons were beaten 1-0 at home by third-placed Arbroath.
Price said: “For a home performance against the standard of team that’s in our division, that’s probably the best we’ve put in during our time here.
“From minute one to minute 90, there could be no complaints about the application, concentration and level of football. I’m delighted.
“It is only one win and three points, so we can’t get too carried away. We’ve had good results before and not followed them up with a bit of consistency.
“But I think it was pleasing we kept the concentration right to the end and managed to keep a clean sheet as well.
“Keeping that zero is a big plus. We were talking about it with 10 to 15 minutes to go, the manager and myself.
“It was quite important that we kept our discipline and our concentration, and we still managed to create more chances.”
Elgin were lively from the off with Cameron shooting over the bar before another attempt on goal was deflected wide at a corner.
It was no surprise when the home side broke the deadlock on nine minutes with Sutherland completely unmarked in the six-yard box to head in a Moore cross from the right.
Five minutes later, Cameron helped himself to a goal, working into space 25 yards out before sending a powerful shot high past goalkeeper Kevin Walker.
During a series of home attacks, Chris Dodd shot inches past, Chris McLeish’s effort went over the crossbar and Dodd forced a good Kevin Walker save before Moore slipped the rebound wide.
Berwick survived further damage until the break but fell further behind nine minutes into the second half.
Elgin’s Chris Dodd was tripped by visiting defender Brian Martin for a penalty which Sutherland netted for his 16th goal of the season.
Cameron added his own second on 63 minutes, scoring into an empty net after Thomas Reilly’s chip rebounded off the bar.
Four minutes later Moore slammed in a low shot after a great Sutherland run and cut back.
Sutherland completed his hat-trick on 70 minutes, curling in a cracker from 20 yards.
