South 3rds again showed both promising signs and ring-rust in going down to their second defeat of pre-season.

South started the match slowly, but were unlucky to go behind when keeper Jim Sutcliffe's short corner clearance ricocheted back past him into the net. South didn't let this frustating goal get them down, and stepped up to dominate the rest of the half. Steve Riches's impressive marshalling of the defence allowed a solid base for the midfield to show their skills, culminating in Tim Waller netting a deserved equaliser to leave the half-time score 1-1.

The arrival of last season's top scorer, Nick Wong, back from the only game Arsenal haven't won so far this season (he knows how to pick 'em), prompted a half-time tactical change as South went looking for the win. However this move backfired as the loss of Steve Riches to umpiring duties saw the South defence weakened, and Blueharts took advantage of stray balls in the circle to twice force the ball home from close range.

South still had lots of the ball, and lots of play, but a pre-season tendency towards attempting to dribble through, instead of passing around, the opposition saw chances at a premium, and a winnable game eventually was lost. Conclusion for the next training sessions: teamwork!