Surely a mistake, with the Ayrshire side EIGHT points clear of second top Kilbirnie Ladeside – and a game in hand.
But delighted Yoker boss John Brogan was only too happy to confirm it was true, and revealed how a pre-match clear-the-air meeting may have acted as the catalyst for a stunning victory.
The goal feast helped Yoker up to eighth spot in the Super League First Division table.
The former St Johnstone striker said: "It was one of these scores that you just don't see coming.
"We'd been poor the couple of weeks beforehand, but scored against Hurlford in three minutes and then didn't put a foot wrong the entire game.
"Hurlford are one of the top two sides in the league but we totally dominated from start to finish and everything we tried came off.
"We had already played them twice this season, and there was nothing between the teams, so that makes it even more of a shock."
Brogan revealed how he felt the need to have a clear-the-air chat before the game so that everyone knew where they stood.
He explained: "There were one or two things I wasn't happy with so rather than let them fester, I decided to get everything out in the open.
"During my spiel, I told the players that if they didn't want to be part of what we were doing at Yoker, then they knew where the door was, but thankfully no one walked through it! This is my fifth season at the club and I haven't had to have too many pre-match chats like that. We have a great bunch of lads."
Brogan has already led Athletic to two promotions, but is a third – to the top tier of Junior football – a bridge too far?
"On our budget it is," he said firmly. "And I'm not complaining when I say that, because I'm at a great club and a lot of people work incredibly hard.
"But our budget, like our squad, is really small. We didn't have enough players to fill the bench against Hurlford, but if you have 11 men doing the business on the park, that's all you need.
"The league we're in at present is definitely a step up from the Central District. The players are faster, fitter and better all round.
"But our job this season was always to consolidate in this league and hopefully we will manage that. With four teams going down, though, that task becomes a bit harder.
"But if we can retain our Super League status, and bring a couple of players in during the close season that improves the squad, we then try to take the next step, but getting another promotion would be a massive ask.
"But even if we get there, we would still be some way off the big boys in the Premier League.
"We don't get the crowds at Yoker you need to generate that extra cash at the turnstiles, so you're always playing catch up in terms of income.
"But that doesn't mean to say we won't have a go, because you're always striving to improve, and that's exactly what we've done in the last few seasons."
