After the previous week's upset at Long Sutton, South returned to winning ways at the Perse with a well-crafted 5-1 victory over a March side who defended solidly in the first half but were slowly and surely overwhelmed in the second.

Had the match started at the appointed time, the lone March representative might have had a difficult time keeping a punctual South at bay but clemency on the part of the officials allowed for a fifteen minute delay while the visitors managed to gather an impressive starting eight. The slick attacking moves that South had been assiduously practising for half an hour beforehand were based on facing a full complement, so it was no surprise that, despite Keith Simpson's rapid distribution and Andy Rose's exploitation of an agoraphobia-inducing space on the left, the home side were unable to unleash a meaningful attack until the remaining three March miscreants had sheepishly slunk on. By this point, though, Sanjay Agarwala had already engaged top gear and was unlucky not to score after taking an incisive through pass from a keen-jawed Matt Readman. Readman and Rose then combined prettily up the left before Chris Massey's visionary pass just outpaced the onrushing Agarwala.

There was a short period where March started to marshal their defence effectively and put South under some pressure but Jim Thorpe, tackling and reverse-stopping with his customary nonchalance, and the rest of the defence held firm even when March finally penetrated the home D. South then took charge and, ignoring an unpenalised blatant foot offence by a March defender, drove forward with a classy interchange between Rick Erlebach and Peter Carey which resulted in a clear chance for Massey. Massey's shot was well saved by the keeper but Steve Fleck, a welcome returnee after flirting with the Seniors' Tour, was on hand to apply a clinical finish. Carey then nearly added a second with a touch of Irish by racing in behind the keeper, who seemed to misread Massey's well-disguised cross from the right, and Massey himself – deputising up front for the injured Rob Barton – was also close to scoring when he drilled the ball low to the goalie's left but saw it just skim past the post.

Fleck again pleased the eye with a mazy crossfield run towards the end of the half and, although March briefly looked dangerous, hitting a tricky through ball which Steve Parker confidently despatched to the wing (along with Erlebach and a March attacker), South reached the thirty-five minute mark well in the ascendancy.

The second stanza began with some excellent three-man passing moves, with Fleck hitting through Chris Graveling to Erlebach, who had his shot blocked, and also feeding Jonny Tostevin and Carey for another diagonal burst. Then Readman added a piledriver of his own and the momentum was now all with South, especially when Simpson crashed upfield like a one-man rolling maul. After forty-seven minutes, Fleck, on an assist from Massey, found Agarwala unmarked on the edge of the D and the latter fired home jubilantly to make it 2-0.

Responding with more than a hint of the agricultural, March then gave away a string of short corners, first tripping Simpson up on a surge and then halting a belligerent Carey drive with a very guilty foot. Stopper Chris Graveling shot well and switched neatly, both to no avail, but after fifty-one minutes, Rob Sprawson – who had earlier replaced ankle injury victim Rose (thereafter a wet but philosophical spectator) – chose his spot and put the ball out of the goalie's reach into the bottom corner. A further effort when Carey netted a rebound after Erlebach's shot had hit a post was ruled out but South kept their foot on the gas as Readman bossed the midfield, neatly sidestepping a variety of interesting tackles.

March finally incurred the umpires' wrath when one of their number was yellowed after crudely horizontalising the nippy Erlebach and South made them pay with two further strikes, one from Graveling – unmarked near the top of the circle – and the other from a determined Agarwala, fed by Spraw­son. After sixty-five minutes, March won their first short corner, shooting wide, but then scored despite Steve Parker's excellent first save.

The remaining minutes of the game disappeared in a rain-soaked blur as your correspondent's notebook finally dissolved into a handful of papier mâché, but of a convincing home win there could be no doubt. Skipper Steve Parker praised the team for an intense and committed performance that ground the opposition down as surely as the England pack did their Australian counterparts.