Seven goals, seven yellow cards, three debutants, two red cards and two penalties - Sam Allardyce's first competitive home win as West Ham United manager had almost everything.
The Hammers came from behind having squandered the lead, gone ahead and conceded a sending-off, spot-kick and goal in added time before recording their first Boleyn Ground success in more than six months - defeating Portsmouth 4-3 in a thrilling rollercoaster of a game in front of 33,465 supporters.
Also on the plus side, man of the match Henri Lansbury marked his debut with a goal, Carlton Cole netted in his fourth straight npower Championship match and David Bentley showed glimpses of why he has been capped by England.
On the negative, Frederic Piquionne will face a suspension after a late coming together with Greg Halford, while manager Allardyce was not happy about his side's defending as a team as they conceded three times on home turf.
"It was good entertainment, I think," said Big Sam. "From the perspective of the fans coming to pay their money, they saw an awful lot of entertainment from both sides.
"It was an open, attacking game which ebbed and flowed and swung one way and then the other and then we finally finished it off after the sending-off from Portsmouth when Liam Lawrence dived in. That then turned the game in our favour and we took full advantage of it with two very good goals.
"We were disappointed after getting 2-1 up to concede the second goal when the midfield didn't do their jobs properly and we got caught out.
"It was an excellent victory because it's been a while coming. This was our third home game and we played well. The opposition have played well like they all do here but we got what we wanted in the end and this was the right result."
Allardyce admitted his players would have to take better care of the ball to avoid the manner of the goal David Norris headed in to level matters at 2-2 seven minutes after Lansbury had put West Ham in front.
Mark Noble, who would later make amends by scoring the penalty that put the Hammers back in front, was robbed in midfield, allowing Pompey to launch a rapid counterattack that ended with Norris heading Erik Huseklepp's cross past an exposed Robert Green.
"We've scored four goals but we've conceded three and conceded two in the last home game, so that's where we need to brush up. We don't look like conceding a goal away from home. We've scored four at Watford and four at Nottingham Forest and now four here and it could have been more, but defensively we weren't as good as we should have been.
"I thought it was a 4-2 game rather than a 4-3 with the penalty at the end. I thought both penalties were slightly harsh.
"That aside, it was a very entertaining game."
While his team will have to defend better if they are to maintain their promotion challenge, the manager was quick to praise the contribution of Cole at the end of a week that saw the England striker attract a bid from Turkey.
The No9, who has regularly committed his future to the Hammers, made the game safe at 4-2 by heading Matt Taylor's pinpoint cross into the top corner with great aplomb.
"It was a fantastic ball and a great header. There is a new energy about Carlton, everyone is telling me, but all I'm seeing is a very good player.
"He's enjoying his time with us after a big shock for us after the deadline had shut when Galatasaray came in with an audacious bid which upset the player because of the size of money he was offered.
"It was hugely disappointing to face that situation but we managed to overcome it and we saw Carlton in full cry and enjoying his football. As a front man with two working off him and Henri Lansbury supporting in the 4-3-3, I thought he was very good from an attacking point of view.
"David Bentley came on and his quality of passing opened the opposition up more. The additions before the window shut look exciting, I've got to say."
Allardyce closed by revealing that he expects more from his new signings in weeks to come as the likes of Bentley, George McCartney, Joey O'Brien and Papa Bouba Diop continue to improve their fitness levels. The Hammers will go to Millwall for next Saturday's derby in fourth place, within striking distance of the promotion spots.
"I've got the squad but they are not all ready and match-fit yet. I think you could see somebody who has gone through a full pre-season and has played in a couple of Under-21 games in Henri, because he just dropped straight in and was one of our top players.
"Whereas David Bentley, Joey O'Brien and George McCartney had basically been discarded by the clubs they were at and had not got the right amount of training, so it'll take some time for them to catch up.
"We'll have the same with Papa when he gets in and around the first team, but once we get them all on song and match fit, I think we'll be a force.
"With the goals we're scoring, it's very exciting and I certainly hope we can continue that at Upton Park."