Another Saturday, another game vs St Ives. As usual, a competitive but friendly contest, this time ending with a convincing victory for the home team. It was a bit of a blur, but in approximate chronological order…

St Ives scored first, against the run of play.

Cambridge South equalised with a John Greaves tonk from distance and an acute angle, surprising the keeper.

Simon Ta scored a couple, including a fierce Barton-esque reverse stick thwack and a neat deflection.

St Ives responded to reach half time on level terms, three apiece.

Ta and Greaves continued in the same vein after the break with another goal each, both from short range, before St Ives came back with their fourth. Ta was now well into the groove and decided that five goals was better than three…so he got a couple more. His fifth showed that it is a team game as he converted yet another cross from ace midfielder, Peter Creed, following a sweeping move from defence.

Greaves got his hat-trick with a trademark pounce on a loose ball in the D, before once again turning provider with a cool dribble and pinpoint cross to the waiting Rob Barton to finish off the scoring. The goals, plus various assists, crosses and some actual tackles, earned skipper Greaves the Man of the Match honours. The award could have gone to almost anyone in the Cambridge South team, who all played well, but for some obscure rules…

• Simon Ta's fantastic goalscoring feat could have earned the gong but he was disqualified due to rule 2017.03.18 section M5, whereby anyone with a surname of two letters or fewer cannot be MoM…

• Tom Steed and Peter Creed, in spite of their dynamic performances setting up most of our attacks and Tom S also stepping up to goalkeeping duties in the first half, were unable to take the prize due to the newly-constituted (for this match only) rule of RFYE (respect for your elders), barring the offspring of teammates on the same pitch being MoM.

It may have been raining for most of the game, but the hockey was bright, lively and high energy throughout. A great way for the M5s to finish their season and they can look forward to entering the league next term with confidence.