A tale of what might have been for South 3rds. A narrow two-one win in a tight away game in the first half of the season gave us reason to hope for another positive result in the return fixture. Alas, the club-wide injury curse, which seems to be spreading like this year’s seasonal flu strain, meant we were again struggling to scrape together a side.

Things started well enough, with South having the better of the early play, eventually culminating in an opening goal for Toby. Si had seen his low shot stopped, but then considerately lay down on the ground as Toby flicked the rebound above the prone Si and the goalkeeper. We thought this might be the point to kick on, but momentum was halted when Bourne converted their first (and only) short of the game. All square at half time.

The second period followed a similar pattern. South’s lead was restored, again by Toby, this time from a lifted drag at a short corner. A few similar chances followed, with Toby sending another short right down the keeper’s throat and a third to his right, but close enough to allow the stopper to pad it away. Harry, returning to action after a lay-off with a hamstring tear, cracked off several hard shots but just wide, and anything on target was being dealt with by the in-form keeper.

With the margin still at one, Bourne Deeping were always in it. The visitors equalised from a fine break, their centre forward dropping to receive the ball near the halfway line to pull up the South defence before playing midfield runners in behind, who weren’t tracked, leaving the overloaded MSG in goal unable to do anything as a simple squared ball presented an open net.

South laid siege to the Deeping twenty-three for the final ten minutes as chances came and went, posts were hit, but the ball would not go in. Bourne had enough nous and quality to hold off the home side, and were probably the more satisfied of the teams with the point. Still, another step towards safety for South with some difficult fixtures to come.