The 1st team continued their great start to the season by notching up their eighth win in a row (tenth if we include the friendlies: yes, let's do that) against Horncastle. The visitors were an unknown threat, having been promoted last season by winning twenty out of their twenty-two games. This season so far has produced a mix bag of results for them however, so it was difficult to predict what we were going to be up against.

There was one thing however we did know before the start: that Horncastle were playing in yellow and black. Our leader, Xabi, whilst making his pre-match motivational speech, made this cracking comment; "They are playing in black and yellow; they look like wasps; so let's swat them!" It was a…buzz word (oh yeah - as pointed out in the pub afterwards, I may be the most uneducated player in the team but I still know a pun or two!) that earned our captain the lemon award.

So the game got started with the wind howling across the pitch and the rain showers making it pretty miserable, and it was clear that Horncastle were going to give us a run for our money. They had pace and liked to attack on the break. Without Craig, Mark and Jon running their socks off in midfield this week, the midfield were put through their paces with debutant Jamie Inshaw stepping up to the challenge and fitting into the team well. He was particularly good at passing the ball back so that it could be recycled. Pearson was also doing his standard twenty-odd mile sprint that we should never take for granted.

The scoring started midway through the first half with Graham slotting in a goal after a decent spell of pressure by the hosts, where Jamie passed the ball back from the base line. The lead was doubled by a great solo effort by the captain, who turned his defender and tapped the ball past the goalie running out towards him.

Horncastle then started putting pressure on the South defence, winning a few short corners. It was obvious they were well drilled and they got a goal back by a well-worked, composed routine, passing the ball around everyone and into the back of the goal.

This didn't knock South's confidence and the set back was quickly answered by the penalty flick master Bhav, whipping the ball in at speed and leaving the keeper with no chance to react. This was following a short corner saved on the line by a defender's foot. Half time, 3-1 and looking comfortable.

The second half didn't start off so well however and the visitors levelled within the first ten minutes, firstly through a short corner and then a penalty flick, which was also from a short corner effort saved off the line by my foot. In fact I think the whole episode came about from a misfired aerial straight to their centre forward. It was a five minute period of pain that I wish to forget.

Fortunately Paresh was on form, making some great tackles, keeping cool and providing some deadly balls into the opposition D. South kept their heads and did not buckle under the pressure and thanks to Xabi and Graham finding the net in fairly quick succession the strain was relieved once more.

The latter part of the second half became fairly scrappy with both teams putting in some hard tackles. Both Xabi and Graveling were sin-binned and Paresh was victim of a heavy bundle, almost breaking his shoulder again. Jack also hurt his ankle somehow (I don't know how, but neither does he). My wing man Tom Rossellini was as solid as ever and, with the legend Steve Parker in goal and Average Aston on the left, the visitors were kept at bay until the final whistle.

Next week is going to be interesting. The team travels to Ely for a top of the table clash: both teams are yet to drop points. It has all the hallmarks of a classic.