"We knew that if we kept the tempo high the goals would come, which they did," said the centreback after Blues midfielder Tom Biss showed his class on the right flank with a few touches, turned defender Jordan Pickering inside out twice and jabbed the ball into the narrowest of spaces between Petone goalkeeper Shea Stapleton and the right-hand upright to level terms 1-1, two minutes before halftime.
"We tried to zip the ball about but it was wet and at times things didn't go to plan," Wilson said, attributing some of the misdirected passes to the tricky surface after persistent rain for the past three days had left some surface flooding.
However, it took only 14 minutes when play resumed in the second spell for the hosts to go up 2-1 through Wilson, who pounced on a Stephen Hoyle freekick to use the inside of his foot to tease the ball into the net after Petone defenders forgot to pull out their dust mops.
It was Tinsley's turn to fist the air in the 70th minute when he coolly jumped up to nod the ball into the net to put Rovers up 3-1 following a cornerkick from defensive midfielder Rob Pearson.
The writing was on the wall for the visitors when Rovers went up 4-1 in the 84th minute after keeper Stapleton charged out to the top edge of the box but the ball slipped under his sliding torso. Hoyle didn't need a second invite to steer the ball around the keeper before depositing it into a gaping goalmouth.
The hosts had briefly lost their top-rung perch to Wellington Olympic and were sharing second place with first-round slayers Stop Out before the match kicked off.
"That didn't sit well with the lads because we want to be first and go on to win the league. That motivated us to go back on top," Wilson said.
It was essential, he emphasised, for the Blues to win every game now, although they would rest this weekend as opponents Palmerston North Marist have Chatham Cup (national knockout) commitments so the league clash has been postponed.
Wilson was mindful their Chatham Cup slayers Miramar Rangers were up again on Sunday, July 24 on home turf, so there was a matter of exorcising the demons, as it were.
"They beat us that day [4-3 in extra time on June 26] and they deserved to win so we'll need to prove a thing or two.
"After beating us in the cup they've lost their last two league games and we haven't lost any since then," he said, hoping to take that momentum into the game. On the flip side, he felt it was an opportune time for some of their key injured players, at the cusp of returning, to enjoy the weekend off to recuperate and train.
Petone coach Graham Little lamented the problem of his side.
"We can chuck in 45 minutes but we can't do it for 90 minutes," said the former league lynchpin, appreciating the exposure which would enable his troops to make the transition from boys to men.
"I have some talented young kids but at the end of the day we're playing in a men's league so they are probably a couple of years short of where they need to be. We don't have the experience ... ," Little said, pleased they had grown in confidence in the last three outings.
