The sun was shining as Cambridge South arrived bit by bit in varying degrees of awakeness (and that's just the skipper after a 3am shift in some local nightclub). The City boys went through their more sophisticated warm up routines, the match started, and within 60 seconds the ball appeared in the home net. 0-1

South immediately woke up...and watched the ball fly into our net a second time. Luckily the whistle had blown moments earlier for an infringement, so it was disallowed. This caused some disquiet amongst the City ranks, and the beginning of sixty minutes of generously-provided and eloquently-expressed opinions about the home team, the umpires, the injustices of life...

South decided instead to concentrate on their clear 4-1-4-1 tactical plan and play sensible hockey, with the Whittaker/Marshman/Crowther axis controlling the midfield and Espley, Monck and Lossy causing trouble on the flanks. The equaliser arrived as a Nathan Monck move ended in a goalmouth scramble and John Greaves pounced to drill the ball into the goal while others - including the keeper - were wondering where the ball was. 1-1

South took the lead on twenty minutes after a flowing move from half way, as Greaves released Rupert Espley to run and cross, via a couple of deflections from the goalkeeper and a defender, to Nathan Monck lurking by the far post who calmly placed the ball into the corner of the net.

A green card (for disputing), a spot of stick-throwing and some choice language showed that City weren't entirely at ease.

The next goal didn't help their mood, as a Dave Monck master-blaster special from fifty yards out touched firstly a defender before the goalkeeper decided to attempt a save only to bundle the ball into his own net. 3-1 and three South goals in six minutes, to the clear annoyance of some of the opposition.

City then realised that they should put their superior technical hockey skills to use and got one back just before half time to make it 3-2, aided by some uncharacteristic indecisiveness in the home defence.

After a calm half time discussion, and another 1-2-3-South Roar, we knew the second half would be a challenge, but the team stuck to the plan with the surprise addition of a couple of aerial passes more familiar to the higher leagues, thanks to Rupert Espley and A.N.Other. up to Boris Lossy.

This gave Boris the taste for some action. He soon broke into the circle and executed a novel move involving lending the ball to an opponent, running into the keeper, knocking both to the ground, and watching as Joe Whittaker reclaimed the ball, waited to allow Boris to scramble clear and thumped it against the backboard. 4-2

Boris thought it would be simpler to get the next goal himself by dribbling into the D, keeping the ball, waiting for the GK to move, and delivering a confident reverse stick effort to make it 5-2, thus achieving his record season goal haul of ten (after eleven seasons of league hockey).

Twelve men soon became ten and a half as Rupert and Ky fought over a place on the subs bench (perhaps the first time all season the subs bench had become a desirable spot), Rupert claiming his back injury was worse than Ky's ankle so more requiring of some R&R. Ky protested; Joe W also attempted to sub himself off (with the jagerbombs from the previous night injuring his stomach); Rupert protested once more and stayed on his victorious seat on the bench to watch the lesson South were providing.

South did have some excellent breakaway moves as City fretted and the space began to open up. We passed intelligently and used all angles, but were unable to add to the tally. The final quarter of the game consisted almost exclusively of multiple (double digits, for sure) short corners for City, of which they converted none. Athletic saves by goalkeeper Shahzad Ali and the awesome Siddorns/Monck/McDonald/Ho defensive unit kept the goals out. City didnt help themselves with overly-elaborate flicks, hits, and smashes, often into the high fence behind the goal, though occasionally through James S's thighs. 

The final whistle blew on a victorious double over the league champions and South M4's went to The Red Bull to celebrate with lots of pizzas, musings over which players had gone undefeated in the league, hopes expressed about not having to go to deepest Lincolnshire in 2014/2015, and some photo "selfies". Needless to say we will never want to play such a horrendously bad-mouthed bunch of kids again, City 5s taking it to a all new low. We wish them all the best, but feel sorry for whoever they play against.

We can reflect on a pretty good season. Second in the league, just one point behind the champions, with thirteen wins and only one defeat. Thank you Joe, Boris and squad. Credits roll over triumphant rock music...