In what was easily the most important game of the season so far, South just held their nerve to beat off the determined challenge of a Deeping side eager to make up the ground lost when they conceded a last-minute equaliser in the corresponding fixture before Christmas.

Deeping, level on points but with an inferior goal difference and having played a game more, made the early running and keeper Steve Parker was quickly into the action, sweeping away an awkward deflection for a long corner. After confident work by Chris Massey and Sanjay Agarwala on the left, Deeping surged forward again, only to be foiled by a classic Matt Readman tackle when two men were open. Jim Thorpe, too, was uncompromising and South gradually established a smooth passing routine round the back before the classy Vijay Agarwala held off two challenges to feed Rob Barton for a shot which was cleared.

On eleven minutes, though, the ever-inventive Rick Erlebach snapped a hit into the D from centre right and Sanjay Agarwala, with minimal space, expertly placed the ball under the left arm of the diving keeper to give South a crucial lead.

Further pressure from Rob Sprawson on the right wing, followed by an excellent link-up from Readman through Erlebach to Barton, threatened to increase the home side's advantage but Deeping defended coolly and gradually drove South back, forcing the first short corner of the game after eighteen minutes. This was well saved by Parker, who then had to block out a concerted attack before a second short was given. From this, Deeping equalised with a well-struck shot which dipped wickedly into the left-hand corner, and there was a further alarm two minutes later when a dangerous hit was sent across the face of the goal. Parker diverted it away with a diving stick save and Jonny Tostevin, a tower of strength throughout, cleared handsomely before another Deeping break was firmly stopped in its tracks by Erlebach.

Readman, who likes the going tough so he can get tougher, then put in a superb reverse-stick tackle before rescuing a disastrous-looking turnover with another consummate take. Meanwhile, Sanjay Agarwala, for the second time in the game, nearly intercepted a tantalising flat pass way back in the Deeping defence, and Massey set up Erlebach to deliver a great wrong-footing pass through to Barton.

Agarwala showed his zeal by racing back to help the defence just before half-time and Readman and Tostevin again fashioned a promising move up the right. But the half ended with Parker again being called on to clear and South feeling that, though they had played very well in patches, Deeping still had plenty of fuel left in the tank.

After the turn-round, South quickly took the initiative, with Chris Graveling seizing the ball off a Deeping forward and setting Readman off on a terrier-like run down the right. But the breakthrough came when Sanjay Agarwala and Erlebach combined to give super-sub Imran Tayabali just enough breathing space to unleash a split-second reverse shot which the Deeping goalie cleared high to concede a short. From Massey's feed, Sprawson controlled instantly, picked his spot and slammed home to make it 2-1 after thirty minutes.

Deeping almost immediately repaired the damage but once again foundered on a fine tackle by Parker who spread himself to form an impassable barrier. At a subsequent short, though, South were luckier to survive when a slick switch to the right post evaded the whole defence and was just diverted past the left, to a collective sigh of relief. Graveling then did well to secure a short at the other end after forty-four minutes and Sprawson, believing imitation to be the sincerest form of flattery, put in a switch of his own, which Massey just failed to get a stick on.

Deeping then set up another big run, bravely halted by Thorpe, before creating a gilt-edged chance in centre D, where a first-time strike was superbly kept out by Parker, who threw himself to his right and blocked before being pinned to the ground by the onrushing attacker. To general disbelief, a stroke was awarded but Parker, maintaining his focus, made an astonishing save by tipping the ball over the bar with his kicker while fully airborne. This spurred South on to renewed efforts up front and Tayabali, oozing class all the way down to his multi-coloured socks, tricked his way round several opponents to win South's third short of the half after forty-nine minutes. Sprawson's switch to Erlebach failed to bring dividends but Graveling, Massey and, in particular, Sanjay Agarwala all competed vigorously to keep the heat on. Tostevin and Sprawson combined well in the right corner but the resulting hit in seared straight across the goal untouched as the keeper did the splits.

Deeping struck back swiftly at this point, forcing the indomitable Parker into two more full-stretch tackles and a glove save as they burst clear, and Graveling had to put in the hard yards to manoeuvre the ball out to safety. After sixty minutes, however, Deeping equalised with a beautifully-taken first-timer into the bottom corner from an angled hit in.

The tempo then continued relentlessly as the visitors forced the pace and both Graveling and Readman had to be at their very best to prevent a further strike. Tayabali countered with a strong run up the right, then Massey sent Tostevin away with a visionary crossfield pass. Tostevin rushed the D, forcing a kick from the advancing keeper, and there were hopes of a late short when Sanjay Agarwala, buzzing furiously at the edge of the circle, appeared to be brought down but play continued and Deeping, as on several occasions, put up a good aerial ball which was safely dealt with by Thorpe before Readman again showed nerves of steel with a reverse-stick stop and cool clearance.

The excitement mounted in the closing moments as Deeping threw everything forward but Fortress Thorpe and the rest of the hard-worked defence were not to be breached. The whistle finally blew to end a pulsating seventy minutes and South, though slightly disappointed not to gain a bigger foothold over their nearest promotion rivals, were justifiably pleased that they were able to prevent them from making any headway.