Hawassa City put a huge dent in St George's title aspirations as Minyilu Wondimu delivered a hat-trick to inspire a huge 3-1 win for Mekelakeya.
It was a massive treat for fans at the Hawassa International Stadium who saw seven goals across both games, but Wondimu shone brightest.
Wondimu scored in the 13th minute to give the Defence Force a 1-0 lead.
He completed his brace in the 24th minute and made it a hat-trick on 43 minutes to take Mekelakeya 3-0 up at halftime.
Wolkite City pulled one back in the second half with Gadisa Mebrate's 75th-minute goal.
The win is a massive boost for Mekelakeya, who moved to within three points of leaders Ethiopia Nigd Bank after the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia drew their game.
They are now five points ahead of St George in fourth place with 39 points, as the Horsemen lost 1-2 to Hawassa City, with Bahir Dar City third on 40 points.
Amanuel Arbo had given St George a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute, a lead they held until the halftime break.
Hawassa City equalised in the 68th minute through Ali Suleiman, and Amanuel Gobena scored what proved to be the winner in the 84th minute, much to the delight of the home fans.
Hawassa City moved up to ninth on the log with 32 points.