In a potentially difficult encounter against high-scoring March Town, South emerged worthy winners with a strong all-round performance which again demonstrated their flexibility in the face of enforced team changes. Missing regulars Keith Simpson (broken thumb), Sanjay Agarwala and Chris Graveling from last week's XI, the visitors were forced to reshuffle their left flank and defence and were glad to welcome back Rob Hay from injury and Jim Thorpe from a burgeoning love affair with Canadian chicken wings.

After an early exchange of skirmishes, South quickly asserted their dominance, with Rob Barton and newly-minted left wing John Taylor both close to rounding the home keeper in the first two minutes after an attacking run by Matt Readman. Rick Erlebach's strike from a third minute short was well stopped but he soon had another chance when Rob Garrett was spectacularly upended by a clumsy challenge just inside the twenty-five. This time, Erlebach's switch was intercepted and March released their left-winger on a fast break with Readman in hot pursuit but it was keeper Steve Parker, calling early, who finally put a stop to matters by tackling decisively from the edge of the D. A similar run by Matt Murray was then rudely interrupted as his legs were taken from under him amidst a flood of apologies from the embarrassed perpetrator. However, South quickly won a third short, which was again stopped by the keeper after Thorpe, pushing out as to the manner born, gave Erlebach the perfect feed.

Thorpe was then immediately on hand at the rear to calmly turn a two-on-one into a none-on-one, whereupon Vijay Agarwala worked a move nicely across through Erlebach to right-wing Garrett, whose cross found a March foot for South's fourth short. Erlebach on this occasion slipped to Barton, who was denied from a shot of measured pace, but on thirteen minutes, after making two further blocks following another South short, the home keeper was helpless to prevent Taylor stepping up to cream a lifter over him and give South a deserved 1-0 lead.

Readman and Thorpe then each had to pull out the stops to repel concerted March attacks and, though still in charge, especially through Hay, Rob Sprawson and Garrett, South had to take care not to be rounded by the eager home attack, whose energy was personified by the strong running (and vociferous encouragement) of their fifty-one-years-young right winger. After an excellent cross to the spot from Murray, Taylor got himself two bites at the cherry but was pluckily denied by the keeper and March funnelled the ball up the right, Erlebach and Agarwala notwithstanding, to win their first short after twenty-five minutes. Good work by Hay relieved the pressure but March soon came close when a free hit into the circle just cleared the bar after a neatly-angled deflection.

Keeper Parker was then called on to make two saves and clear in double-quick time before Erlebach sent up a cunningly-placed aerial which so impressed March's veteran right-winger that he was moved to cry "Watch two little ducks, no. 22!" The centre-half, his shirt number now apparently reducing him to the status of a bingo token, responded by setting up another promising move with Garrett but, although this was eventually foiled, South continued to attack, with Barton shooting just wide after an incisive feed to the inside-right channel and the defence combining smoothly to collect and distribute. But the score remained 1-0 at half-time and South clearly needed more of a cushion to feel safe against opponents who are used to scoring three or four goals a game.

Emboldened by some state-of-the-nation remarks from Erlebach, South pressed strongly in the opening minutes of the second period. Hay won good ball at the back, Barton had a shot saved, Readman beat two men going forward with classic overtaking manoeuvres and then Garrett delivered a pinpoint cross from the goal-line. Sprawson's shot was saved but, when the rebound came free, Murray administered the prescribed treatment on the far post to put March two behind on thirty-nine minutes.

South had another chance two minutes later when Sprawson again sent away Garrett, whose cross to just inside top D had Taylor's eyes bulging as he raced in to strike. Sadly, the net failed to bulge in sympathy as the ball continued on a separate path and March broke loose to win a second short despite Agarwala's staunch delaying tactics on the left. The resulting shot went wide after a bobble but March persisted and, though Sprawson tackled firmly and Readman anticlockwised inventively out of trouble, a third short came after forty-seven minutes. This time, the strike was on target but Parker saved convincingly and the ball was cleared up the right wing for South to win two shorts of their own. The home keeper did well to make a stick save and two follow-ups on the first but evaded the action on the second, when Barton missed by very little after a neat switch by Erlebach.

There was little respite for him as Taylor and Barton buzzed round the D but March, unfazed by the close attention paid to their defence, hit back in an entertainingly fluctuating passage of play which saw Parker tested to the limit but emerging with flying colours. A weighty block and tackle from the South keeper on fifty-one minutes preceded March's fourth short, when they had a clear chance to walk the ball in after a slip, but Parker formed an impassable barrier with stick, gloves and then pads before impressively breaking down another short with a trademark block and clearance. Thus repulsed, March were soon back on their heels when Taylor, ably assisted by Barton, Sprawson and Garrett, surged into the D, forcing a clearance, and Erlebach put Barton clean through on a one-on-one. Barton went left but the keeper read it and dispossessed him on the edge, and the action reverted swiftly to South's circle, where, following a low, flicked penalty corner, Parker made an outstanding block with his right glove close to the ground and then defied all March's attempts to hit it past, over, under or through him.

Further danger was averted by Thorpe's calm dismantling of a two-man break on fifty-eight minutes and, though March were always keen to get forward, more space began to open up for the South wingers and Erlebach was able to find Garrett and sub John Benedikz, positioning themselves astutely, at will. Garrett in particular was almost unstoppable up the right flank and both Murray and Sprawson weighed in to good effect. But, conscious of the fact that any lapse at the back could lead to an unnecessarily anxious last five minutes, South reined back from all-out attack, and rightly so, as Sprawson was forced to make a fine reverse tackle and Thorpe twice had to do his Horatio impersonation when March sought to storm the bridge. Together, though, he, Agarwala, Hay and the ever-resourceful Readman held March at bay and South earned a late bonus when Barton, profiting from a rebound, swept in a tumbling reverse-stick shot to put the issue beyond doubt and seal an important victory whose margin would certainly have been greater but for a committed and resolute performance from the home keeper.

Skipper Steve Parker was delighted with the victory, which put his team back on track after the irritation of the Long Sutton game. He was particularly keen to praise the spirit and commitment of the side in what was, once again, a key game against potentially tricky opponents.