Our last pre-season friendly was very much an early start for all. Several players declared that they were worse for wear due to sore ribs, over-eating, over-drinking, etc., and with no substitutes, it looked like we would be playing with ten until Charlie showed up with seconds to spare. The lethargic warm-up led to the Cambridge South 4s shuffling into position for the start of the game, while Saffron Walden looked more than up for the game. A few new faces on their side also suggested that this would be a stronger team than last time.

Oddly though, it was South that started stronger, with good pressing and the ball barely leaving the Walden half. John G chased down a ball, and as it was about to cross the goal line, selflessly cut it back to Boris, who put in the opener. Following further chances in the D, a scramble for the ball in the 12th minute resulted in it coming loose. Boris called it, and then proceeded to slap it into the net while the 'keeper did his best impression of bullet-dodging, Matrix-style.

Shortly after this, we lost our composure a bit as SWalden brought on their playmaker, Mr. Number 11, to boss the game. C-South also started to be caught in possession, and left the defence outnumbered too often, occasionally allowing Saffron Walden's youngsters to run in behind them. It was these lapses that allowed a succession of goals from Walden before the half-whistle. 2-0 quickly became 2-4, as they scored three goals from open play, and one from a short corner. (?)

A short corner with one of the brand-new variations had Joe stop and expertly shoot/pass to Boris at the post, however the deflection flew across goal, narrowly missing John G who was waiting with his stick at chest height. Dave M begun to find his range with his trademark thunderbolts upfield, and Greaves and Lossy also had a few goal-bound shots, but the excellent Saffron Walden keeper (another of the changes from a fortnight ago) was a match for each of these. Joe, Tim, and Charlie particularly were forceful in attack, but too often the moves broke down, before the final product could be delivered into the penalty circle.

Following half-time, the defence tightened up with Monckosaurus in charge, and with Jacob and Nathan making some great runs down the wings, it looked like we would get back amongst the goals. Another Saffron Walden goal from open play looked to have the game wrapped up, but there was still plenty of time on the clock. A bit of pinball in the D saw South capitalise after Tim Clapp was left with only an open goal in front of him.

In the final part of the game, Greaves hit the post from a Tim Clapp cross with a back stick lunge at a sharp angle, which was unlucky, but on another occasion he managed to shoot 10ft over the bar from close range, with Boris waiting in space for the easy tap in. Muppet. The Saffron Walden right back, the Big T, was subbed off following shouts from one of the South strikers to keep passing him the ball, and a final short corner allowed us to practice a third variation which could serve us well during the season.

All in all, 3-5 was an OK performance against a markedly better Walden team than 2 weeks ago. It seemed like a few lapses in focus at both ends of the pitch had resulted in goals missed and conceded, but this appeared to be a one-off. Joe looked solid during the short corners, with all his shots and passes finding the target with a good level of power and accuracy. Debutant Defender George played very well, and looked like he would seamlessly fit in to the new-look 4s team. The core squad appears to have settled, which means that positions are also less likely to change, just in time for the new league season.

Fun Trivia:
In the space of a little over twelve months, we have now beaten Saffron Walden 6ths 5-4 twice away(!), and twice lost 3-5 at Fortress Leys. The decisive rubber awaits, perhaps in 2014-2015.