Taranaki have kept Manawatū winless in 2022, taking victory in the battle of the NPC Evens Conference's bottom teams.
Taking just their second victory of the season after an unbeaten 2021, the amber and blacks triumphed 34-17 at New Plymouth on Friday.
Playing under lights at Yarrow Stadium for the first time since 2019, the hosts emerged triumphant, as large chunks of the field remained in the dark.
In a rampant first half, Taranaki scored all four of their tries in the opening 40 minutes - as a double to Kini Naholo, and scores from winger Vereniki Tikoisolomone and Ricky Riccitelli gave the hosts a 28-12 lead at the break.
And while Manawatū had the better of Taranaki in the second half, the hosts' lead was too great to overcome, despite efforts from Ben Strang and Tima Fainga'anuku with the final act of the game.
Siua Maile and Luke Campbell were Manawatū's try scorers in the first half.
With four tries apiece, discipline and goal kicking proved to be the difference for Taranaki, as Daniel Waite - four conversions and two penalties - outperformed Manawatū's Brett Cameron's two conversions.
Taranaki's second win of the season moves them to 11 competition points, six points off a quarter-final place, with three regular-season games to go before the playoffs.
Manawatū meanwhile continue their miserable season, with eight defeats out of eight as only one of two teams yet to record a win in 2022.
Southland share in the misfortune of being the other winless side, albeit with a game in hand as they travel to Bay of Plenty on Sunday.
Taranaki 34 (Tikoisolomone, Naholo 2, Riccitelli tries; Waite 4 conversions; Waite 2 penalties)
Manawatū 24 (Maile, Campbell, Strang, Fainga'anuku tries; Cameron 2 conversions)
