Another low scoring game for the M3s this week, following our first blank since the opening day of the season against Alford last Saturday. The saving grace for the day being the return of the Monckosaurus to short corner duties.

Our team had quite an unfamiliar look to it, not really through absentees from our own squad but more because the M2s have put a sign on their door saying ‘gone skiing’. Illness also struck, with Ian and Neil both ruled out on the day of the game. That left us with 12, including Stu and Jelley up from the 4ths and also Raj, who was not just making his debut for South but also at the sport of hockey. That he was so raw would not have been obvious from the game, Raj playing good stuff throughout, making short passes to teammates and finding space intelligently to offer himself for returns.

The opening half was characterised by the low winter sun being in our eyes. Passes were being misplaced, or more accurately were going exactly where intended only to discover that the recipient was actually wearing a green shirt, not a purple one! This sprung the Saints away dangerously on a few occasions, with Lino the busier keeper in the opening thirty-five minutes. When we attacked it was all a little forced, with players dribbling into contact or looking to thread killer passes through tiny gaps rather than working the ball upfield in stages.

A tweak in positions at half-time stabilised our performance (that and the Saints staring into the sun for the half!) and we pressed our hosts back for the opening twenty minutes of the second period. Pressure creates shorts, but none were converted until JT took over injection duties. His first produced a second, and this one was arrowed into the far corner by Dave for his fourteenth of the season.

We should have made it two a few minutes later when Nathan mugged the Saints' last man on the halfway line and burst through unopposed, with Rob alongside him offering support. The two South players tried to work the situation, Nathan drawing the keeper and squaring to Rob, but the pass bobbled free and by the time Rob had collected it the keeper was back in situ. Even so a good chance was still present as Rob played it to the back post for Nathan…standing on the penalty spot to stare at in exasperation!

That could have cost us as the Saints poured forward towards the end, forcing a number of short corners, only for strong defensive sticks and good keeping from Lino to keep them at bay and earn a hard-fought three points. Not our finest performance, though.