Pre-game:

• Rasmus sings along to Journey - Don't Stop Believin'.
• Everyone agrees that Las Ketchup is probably the best song on the Now 53 CD.
• Tom S decides to provide Joe W with a massive bruise to remember him by.
• Ed B decides he can't play at Spalding because he needs to spend time with his Mum.

The beginning of another league campaign for Cambridge South Ditherers. What division are we in this time? Ah yes, 5NW: the fifth different division we have played in over the past five seasons.

Part of that incessant changing of level has seen us playing sides from up and down opposition clubs, as this particular match highlighted. Last year, in 4NW, we were up against Spalding 2nds; now, after relegation, we were up against Spalding 4ths. Their 2nds had um…beaten us (aggregate 17-2), but hopes were high that the 4ths would be more our cup of tea.

The opposition may change, but some things are constant. Like us showing up at a game with a bare eleven whilst the opposition have oodles of subs. If they were all Vets that would probably seem fair, but enough looked teenaged for the extra fitness to be a potential factor. Not that this was the oldest team South 3rds have put out in recent years, in fact not by a long chalk. The majority were in their prime, between 25-30. It was only the defence which had a greybeard look to it, and that is a position where experience outdoes legs, right?

As well as subs, we were also missing a keeper. Joe volunteered to don the pads, for which all were grateful (both because it meant we had someone between the sticks, and because we wouldn’t have to do it!). Joe has kept before on occasion and once again showed a general competence in the role. He had to be on his mettle a couple of times in the opening ten minutes as our defence sorted its marking out, but he handled these occasions decently. Once the sticky start had been navigated, we began to make impressions on the home goal and were by far the more threatening of the sides in the first half.

One passing move that cut from the right wing to the left post would have provided a goal of the season contender had it been finished. Towards the end of the half our progressive play got a deserved reward. The goal itself was an odd one, as Jan’s free hit from wide right and near halfway somehow got through about four sticks to arrive in the circle. There it was met by Nathan, who had stuck with his run from the left wing even when it seemed a defender had to intercept, and now found himself in position to loop a deflection high over the Spalding keeper and home. Kudos to Nathan for the finish, but more particularly for the energy in sticking with his leading run even when it seemed unlikely to produce anything: something many of the team can learn from.

Spalding seemed frustrated to be behind, or at least so one could surmise after witnessing tackling which I’ll term ‘over-exuberant’ and that the umpires deemed worthy of a pair of green cards. Exactly how far this would have got we will never know, as Spalding drew level from a short soon after, flicked just inside the post with a decent amount of lift. Good finish, to be fair.

We had a chance to retake the lead when a good midfield tackle from Ras and early feed forward set Tom S and Nathan in, two-on-one. Tom drew the last defender and squared to Nath, but unfortunately the ball was just behind him and in trying to sort his feet out he came down with a crash. Oops.

The next goal went to Spalding instead, as they showed quick thinking and movement on a free-hit from near halfway, catching our defence too high upfield and finishing with a ball into the circle that was deflected over Joe as he attempted to spread himself.

Joe was blameless for both goals and was making saves when they were possible, most notable blocking a fiercely hit low drive to keep the score at 1-2. Tom R also chipped in, clearing a ball off the line after a quick counter had seen our defence outnumbered and Joe rounded.

Spalding were clearly on top at this point, aided a little by impatience from our team who could feel the points slipping away. So it was rather against the run of play when we equalised. It came from a short. Paul’s first shot was blocked, but he wisely ignored calls from Neil to “re-set”, meaning he was still in the circle to win the ball back and attempt another shot off his reverse side. This skewed off target and found Nathan, who moved it on to Will by the baseline. As the keeper advanced, Will coolly nutmegged him to draw the scores level.

Neither team created a serious chance in the remaining time, meaning we had started by sharing the spoils. Decent enough, I guess. Maybe a mid-table season is in the offing at last?