Sutton United boss Paul Doswell was thrilled at his side's ruthless demolition of Havant & Waterlooville last weekend.
Two goals from Jamie Slabber - his first of the season - and strikes from Kane Haysman, Anthony Riviere and Criag Dundas did the damage in a 5-0 mauling on the south coast.
United are now unbeaten in six Skrill South games, sitting fourth in the table, and the manner of the weekend's victory is in contrast to this stage last term.
Doswell said: "Against Havant we created five or six chances and we took them, we were that ruthless.
"Last year we would create chance after chance and end up with nothing."
He added: "We've tried to instil into the lads that if we're up to the fight in the first half, then our football quality will come through, and so it has proved.
"With Charlie Clough coming in we've kept consecutive clean sheerts, and I always knew Jamie Slabber was a qaulity player.
"He is so calm in front of goal, he passes the ball into the net, but he is also very good at holding up the ball.
"We were concerned we would struggle in the early stages without him, but players like Dean McDonald have come in and really stepped up to the mark."
Jamie Taylor was a late substitute in the Havant game, marking another step on the road to recovery from a knee injury.
However, with Simon Downer, Marvin Williams and James Folkes all still out, Doswell is having to rely on other options.
"We have 14 fit players so Paul [Telfer] and Wayne [Shaw] are filling up the bench, even though I know Paul has a niggling Achilles injury."
He added: "But we have started well, and if we carry on like this we'll be challenging come the end of the season."
Meanwhile, Sutton have released midfielder Kevant Serbonij and strikers Rhys Murrell-Williamson and Chris Benjamin.
The trio all impressed for the reserves last season and were awarded development contracts at the end of the season, but Doswell said they had not progressed as he had hoped.
He said: "We loaned them out to Harrow Borough at the start of the season, but none of them have really pushed forward and done well enough for us to think that they will feature in our squad.
"We signed Dean McDonald just before the season started and we need to be looking after him more than we have been, and this frees up a little bit of the budget to help us do that."
Evasion: Dale Binns skips away from the attentions of some Havant lad (all pictures: Paul Loughlin)
Bang: Craig Dundas heads in goal number three for Sutton United
On the scoresheet: Kane Haysman found the back of the net in the 5-0 drubbing of Havant
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