When South 3rds travelled to Bourne Deeping 4ths (aka The Dragons) for our first meeting this season, South cleared loads of shots off the line and then nicked a win with a late penalty corner. The return at Long Road saw Bourne Deeping clear loads of shots off the line and then South scored the winner with a late penalty corner. Some people say luck evens out over a season. Yes, idiots.

We came into the game sitting a place below the Dragons in the Division 5NW table and the even match-up of the teams showed in an enjoyable, pacy and generally even game. We had some good first half chances, Rob being denied by the visitors' keeper on a couple of occasions, and our best move of the half ending with the ball going agonisingly across the Dragons' goalmouth with nobody able to apply the finishing touch. Jason was also being kept busy in our goal, and approaching half-time he was beaten by a clever deflection from a narrow angle.

We turned around a goal behind but that wasn’t the case for long as a penalty corner was cleanly injected to Dave, who powered home the equaliser. Soon after it looked like we were certain to go ahead, only for Rob’s goal-bound shot to be hooked out of the air on the line by a stick from nowhere.

Pressure was kept on the Dragons' goal, with one extended period of play happening in their 25 and another, even more spectacular fish off the goal line by the same player as before (after the game he claimed three goal line clearances, so there was another good opportunity that I can’t currently recall). This pressure was bringing shorts, and we got our reward inside the last ten minutes with a Monck family special – Nathan out to Dave, who again thundered home.

Bourne Deeping threw everything at us in search of an equaliser but good saves from Jason and a goalmouth scramble eventually seeing the ball cleared meant we hung on for the win and a positive start to 2016. Next week – Wisbech away at 4pm. Lovely.