As we made the long trek up to Wisbech, the pre-match predictions betrayed the scale of the challenge facing us. I didn’t catch the home fixture due to injury, but eyewitnesses said that though we had battled hard, in the end we were outgunned 4-1 by a strong side who were now flying high at the top of the league.

An away trip, then, was going to be tough. A comprehensive survey conducted in the car saw nobody bold enough to predict a win or even a draw for the M3s, though MSG did proclaim that we would concede a mere two goals.

Which would have been a spot on guess, had he been limiting himself to the first five minutes of the game. The omens had augured poorly when skipper Matt noted we hadn’t warmed up with our usual intensity, and so it proved when Wisbech scored after about fifteen seconds.

I didn’t catch the goal due to nipping off for a tactical urinal visit, but eyewitnesses said that Ash A, after a season of lovely Steven Gerrard-esque distribution at the back, suffered an agonising Steven Gerrard-esque slip-up at the back. The Wisbech striker took full advantage to give his team the lead.

Not the best of starts. Worse still, it was in front of a crowd, as Josh O had brought his better half along to support us. This was presumably as punishment for something, and we couldn’t really blame her when she got out her phone and started chatting to the people she knows who don’t inflict hockey on her.

Things got even worse for everyone a few minutes later. Our defence was outpaced by a pair of Wisbech forwards, with one squaring to the other for a simple second goal.

Two-nil down with sixty-five minutes still on the clock. It was looking grim, with the only ray of light coming from watching Alex P’s graceful salmon leap to try and intercept an aerial. But just as with last week’s friendly, when we sort-of-overcame a four-nil deficit to salvage a creditable five-three defeat, the M3s showed a talent for defying sluggish starts to drag ourselves back into the game.

The comeback was triggered by a Joe aerial, which the Wisbech keeper booted away. Unfortunately for him, I had pelted up from the halfway line and intercepted the clearance, driving into the D and playing it across to where Josh O was waiting. He made no mistake with the finish.

With a foothold in the match, and buoyed by MSG’s shout of, “We’ve got them on the rocks!” we kept pushing. I didn’t catch the equaliser due to being back in my own half, but eyewitnesses said that it was Josh O again, smashing in a shot that one of the Wisbech defenders bravely chested away, but only after it had already crossed the line.

Two-two at half time, and it was hard to tell which team was more surprised.

In the second half, we continued where we left off. Alex B and John played some nice passes to create openings, while Ash D and Nev both worked hard up top to provide an ever-present threat with their mazy dribbles. Thanks to these collective efforts, we completed the remarkable turnaround with a short corner – Alex B saw his effort saved, only for Joe to convert the rebound.

Wisbech did not take kindly to falling behind at home, and ratcheted up the pressure. Chris M showed admirable versatility playing at both full back positions as well as defensive mid, as we rotated frequently to keep ourselves fresh for the onslaught. Josh O, keen to impress our crowd on the touchline, found the energy to track back time and time again.

Our defence was determined not to be judged just on the opening five minutes, with Jan making a series of crucial blocks and Ash A cleverly skewing an aerial in order to intimidate the watching Wisbech supporters. Ahead of them, Matt K marshalled the efforts to keep the midfield solid, while the fullbacks Alex both enjoyed/endured repeated sprint races against an array of rapid Wisbech wingers.

For a glorious twenty minutes, it seemed like we might hold on for a win. But Wisbech won a series of short corners and one of their routines finally paid dividends, with their player shooting under my too-slow stick to find the corner and pull level.

Now we were in danger of losing the points altogether, as our opponents selfishly weren’t happy to settle for a draw. MSG made a series of big saves, with the highlight coming as he threw himself to the floor to block the first effort, before springing into the air (inspired perhaps by Alex P?) to parry away the follow-up chip that seemed destined for the net.

Realising we had to alleviate the pressure, Joe executed some textbook ‘Sneading’, dribbling around in a corner of our own half, unperturbed by the bemused Wisbech attackers surrounding him. Clearly impressed, Matt promptly did something similar in the opposite corner. Both displays gave us a collective breather and coronary.

Finally, the whistle went, and we had secured a point away to the league leaders – only the fourth time they’ve dropped points all season, according to our statisticians. It was a testament to our performance that there was some disappointment that we’d been unable to secure the win. We carried this newfound assertiveness into the match teas, with Ash D striding over to the kitchen and demanding that he be given some of the cake on the counter in addition to the spag bol that had already been dished out. Leave it on the pitch, Ash.

Also dished out were the MotM and LotM awards – the strong team performance was reflected by a wide range of nominees, with Matt K winning thanks to his exemplary performance in the middle of the park, and Josh O ‘winning’ for his misguided efforts at a romantic break. I didn’t catch the aftermath, but eyewitnesses say he slept on the couch that night.