The game got off to a rip-roaring start, as Chloe Deerness opened the scoring inside seven minutes, scrapping one in from close range after plenty of early dominance from Kings.
That lead was short-lived though, as Fenella Ballantyne converted a well-worked penalty corner to quickly level things up.
It left the game firmly in the balance at the end of the first quarter, with the Highlanders all of a sudden right back in the contest — but that would be as good as it got for them.
After another dominant quarter, Kings found their way in front through Nina Murphy just before halftime, which was a real body blow to the Highlanders.
Kings knocked the ball around well, and looked entirely assured as Murphy doubled the lead just before three-quarter time from a penalty corner to put Kings firmly on course for a win.
The Highlanders had no answers and the Royals saw things home, closing the gap to City to just two points.
There were strong performances across the park from Kings, with Hannah Cormack in the thick of everything in midfield, while Anna McLean did plenty of hard yards off the ball.
For the beaten Highlanders, Ava Beens was strong as always, but boy did they miss the services of Tessa Jopp.
Momona meanwhile firmly kept pace with the top two, as they handed the University Huskies a 3-1 defeat.
The seemingly untouchable Sorrell Shand grabbed another two in the first, taking her to 12 goals after just six games.
The Huskies mounted a late comeback when Ella Rogers took it to 2-1 with six to play, but Paige Hopping replied to lock up the points for Momona.
In the other premier women’s match the University Stingrays picked up their first win of the season, taking down the Taieri Tigers 3-1.
The big result of the day in the premier men’s competition was the Albany Alligators thrashing the University Whales 7-0 to take home the shield.
It was a brutal take-down, of the previously unbeaten Whales, who will be heading back to the drawing board.
The Alligators were incredible right across the park, proving particularly lethal at penalty corner time, as Josh Stevens grabbed a brace.
Nic Finlayson also had two, including an excellent individual effort which began at halfway.
Meanwhile, there was more frustration for the Taieri Tuataras as they played out a rare 0-0 draw with the Kings United Cobras.
Taieri will take something out of the fact that they kept a clean sheet and won the eventual shootout, though equally Kings had the better of the contest, and should have won it.
The usually reliable Daniel Torr was given the chance to convert a stroke with three to play, but he struck the left upright.
At the bottom, the University Panthers beat the Southland Barbarians 3-1.
By Nicholas Friedlander
