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Harry Van Der Saag's own goal and Logan Rogerson's sidefoot volley ensured Auckland FC's debut A-League Men outing was a winning one.
Auckland FC have liftoff, the A-Leagues' newest club making an instant impact with a 2-0 victory over Brisbane Roar on home debut.
Both the sky and the Mt Smart Stadium stands were blue as Auckland FC arrived in the competition, their picture-perfect debut finishing with a scoreline to delight the sold-out crowd.
Harry Van Der Saag's eighth minute own goal gave the Black Knights an early lead on Saturday, before Logan Rogerson's composed second-half finish secured the result.
This was a day that went completely to script for the hosts and league chiefs.
Not only could coach Steve Corica be happy with three points, but Auckland FC's billionaire majority owner Bill Foley would be delighted with the bumper support from Aucklanders.
The thumping 24,492-strong attendance was vindication too for head office, which awarded the license and pushed on with the club's entrance, injecting some much-needed vitality to the competition.
That figure was just south of the best-ever crowd for for an A-League Men club's inaugural game, showing the appetite for the sport in New Zealand's biggest city.
Auckland FC's early breakthrough came from an unlikely source.
Van Der Saag, the former Adelaide United defender, became the answer to the inevitable pub quiz question of the club's first goalscorer, tapping into his own net in the most unfortunate of fashions.
Guillermo May released Hiroki Sakai down the right, who bore down on goal and drove the ball across the face, where Van Der Saag miscontrolled under little pressure.
Auckland's Japanese captain showed fight and spirit to put his side ahead, bundled over earlier in the move before sprinting back to capitalise, celebrating richly.
The somewhat-scratchy goal was typical of a first half where, in blustery conditions, both sides lacked penetration.
Brisbane were limited to chances from out wide, with Thomas Waddingham through on 22 minutes but shooting directly at Alex Paulsen.
Corica's mid-match assessment of his side was they could do "a lot better", and with the benefit of the wind, they firmed into the contest.
May - proving a handful for the Brisbane defence with his movement and ball protection - pinched the ball in the area and crossed for Jake Brimmer, who fell agonisingly short of a back-post toe-poke.
Lively debutant Liam Gillion then went close, firing into Macklin Freke's legs as a second goal loomed.
Rogerson provided it in the 74th minute, arriving on the back post to Francis De Vries' cross and oh-so-casually side-footing home in front of Auckland's boisterous active fans.
While Auckland enjoy the view from the top of the A-League Men ladder, Brisbane and coach Ruben Zadkovich can re-gather next week during their bye.
Ecuadorian forward Neicer Acosta showed impressive signs on his A-League debut, as did Indonesia's Rafael Struick off the bench.