A single goal was enough to decide the outcome of this high-energy top of the table clash in 6NW(S).

An early chance to take the lead wasn't taken as the usual Monckosaurus rasper from a short corner was blocked by a defender's body on the line. The keeper was fortunate to save the resulting Barton P-flick with his trailing foot.

That man Monck, aside from his official duties as star defensive terminator for stray opposition forwards and his frequent blasts upfield, decided to expand his repertoire to mentor the nearest umpire on some of the more obscure rules, using the, "I've been playing this way for twenty years," justification. The umpire wasn't convinced.

His fellow defenders, led by The Rock as ever, were on top form, and on the rare occasions that a shot got through, man of the match super-keeper Matt St-Gower was on hand to swat the ball away with whatever part of his anatomy got to it first.

The deadlock was broken mid way through the second half, as a multitude of shots, blocks and deflections ended when skipper John Greaves was quickest (yes, gentlemen, for once he was actually QUICK…if only for a fleeting second) to pounce on to a loose ball to push it past the disorientated keeper from at least two yards out.

Nomads wouldn't give up, and they had the bulk of possession. Luckily their classy hockey and use of the width of the pitch was not enough to get through, in spite of multiple short corners. South were always dangerous on the break and could have had more goals but for a shot hitting the post, the home keeper almost matching MSG for saves, and the speed of our breaks - mostly by Jimmy "Lightning" Wood - surprising the rest of the attack force, who were usually still on their way towards the D.

Afterwards the friendly and sociable Nomads team were magnanimous in defeat, as they rued their inability to turn possession into goals, but gave credit to South for our battling performance.

The M4s all played well, particularly in the second period, with half the team earning MoM nominations. Five points ahead of the pack, with eight wins and one draw, having played against all teams once, isn't a bad place to be.