Our 2016/17 campaign had begun with plenty of optimism. Another year of my steady hand at the tiller, a decent squad roster…why, there was even a collection of relatively toned and honed bodies after a remarkable and never-before-seen ‘pre-season fitness’ campaign.

September’s trip to Wellingborough, and the subsequent loss in the season’s opener, had thus been a sobering experience. The home side had celebrated that victory with all the inevitable exuberance that follows two years without a win. It was a long journey back to Cambridge that day.

Since then, plenty of filthy water has passed under our rickety bridge and as 2017 sludged its way into view, the M2s found themselves in mid-table.

It was time to get back to business. No more Mr Nice Guys. In fact, we welcomed several of Cambridge South’s ultimate ‘Mr Nastys’ to the ranks – Jason the Goalie, Shin and John Pawson. Dastardly fellows to a man, who would stop at nothing to secure the points.

Bolstered by their cynically ruthless outlook on life, we took to the field. In the ascendancy from the off, the South XI dominated the game to such a degree that a casual observer might have thought that we were playing against nine men, which incidentally we were.

Space was not a precious commodity. Engine and Belgian Alex had more than most and were not short of advice on how best to use it.

It did though take a set piece to break the deadlock. A perfect Polge-Anns combo asked the parents but it was the tried and tested Cooper-Menzies duo that got down on one knee and slid a ring up the finger. One-nil.

The Wellingborough lads were making a decent fist of things but a moment of madness from one defender presented Shin with a sight of goal. Calm? The lad is basically horizontal. He stretched our lead with no fuss at all.

Into the second period and the pattern continued. Manny and Walshy had their passing game going this week and we manipulated the ball around Long Road’s fertile green pastures, searching for another opening. Walshy was though, by now, bored of protecting Tom's and my hole and so it was that NBM, a man with so much earnestly valiant enthusiasm that I’m sure he is in fact a bit-part character in Brian Jacques’ Redwall series, appeared in semi-central midfield. SamWise (our star striker) quietly slotted behind him, in a tactical manoeuvre that perhaps showed the problems that flow when our cerebral manager brings himself on in search of a goal rather than concentrating on managing the subs bench. The tributes have been pouring in for Graham Taylor this week. Universally acknowledged as a lovely bloke but perhaps exposed when it came to managing at the highest level – there are definite parallels with Oven.

The away side took to throwing aerial after aerial in a bid to gain territory, if not a foothold back into the match, but it was the good guys that had the last say. More effective work in the attacking circle from Shinwoo saw the ball whispered back to Pawson, who chirpily thundered it into the bottom right hand corner to seal the points.

It was properly excellent to win again.