South 3rds' season continues to stutter as we went down to a hard fought defeat in the derby match at City 6ths.

Good availability across the club allowed us to roll out fourteen to counter City’s half-term bolstered full sized squad. Despite having two more players than us, and including a couple of properly grizzled veterans, they probably still had fewer cumulative years on their clock. One can add ‘pace’ to the ‘youth’ that their kids brought to the party, and no little skill.

And ‘well coached’ is also on that list, doing simple things like not stopping when the ball hits an opponent’s foot, but playing on to take advantage of any hesitation. Which caught us out early on when we paused twice in quick succession after kicking it, giving the space for the City forward to strike home a reverse stick opener. Irritatingly soft.

At times in the opening ten minutes it felt like we could get overrun. However the damage was limited to one, mostly through Jason’s impressive save of a City penalty flick, reaching up to glove the ball away from his top left corner. As the team steeled themselves to the level of effort required to play in the match, it got more even. City were still looking pretty dangerous in their attacks, but we were also now getting some play and it took a good smother from the home keeper to stop Tim getting an equaliser before the break.

Soon after the restart, we did have that leveling goal. It came from a turn-over in midfield and was neatly and swiftly worked by the two James; Tanner out wide to Mathews, who went around the full-back and passed back to Tanner on the penalty spot to sweep home.

That should have been a springboard for us. Instead it proved a spur for City, as three goals in the next ten minute won the game for them. One was an overload giving the space for a crisp strike, the second came from a pull-back and neat finish and the third punished our pushing up too far, neatly worked for a far-post tap in.

We got one back in the remaining time from our first penalty corner of the game. Dave’s initial strike was saved but the rebound fell to a South stick and after a scramble found its way to James M, who knocked it home. A more upbeat finish, but not enough overall.