Sunbury scored in the opening minutes, and again five minutes later courtesy of a penalty.

Co-captain Pietro Angeli said the frenetic start unsettled his group and left them playing catch-up.

A 3-0 half-time deficit saw Vikings respond with a goal early in the second half, and it had chances to edge closer, but eventually Vikings fell to a 4-1 loss – its biggest defeat of the season.

“It was a game that we didn’t play at our best,” Angeli said.

“It’s hard to settle into a game like that, from the get-go you’re under the pump.

“The scoreline suggests it was not as close as it was at stages, but if you’re 3-0 down against a decent team you’re never going surmount that unless something really remarkable happens.”

The loss, against a side that Vikings previously held a one-point buffer over, sees Sebastopol sit sixth on the table.

Vikings have a four-point buffer on seventh while top side, Epping City, has five points on its nearest challenger.

With just three points between second and sixth, losses like Saturday could prove telling come seasons end.

Vikings take on Fawkner next week, it sits ninth, but with a game in hand – playing Williamstown on Monday.