The fixtures computer threw up a tasty clash for the neutrals where two of last season’s high-flyers met on the opening round of 2018-19. A meeting where the away team clattered the other last year, City 6-1 winners at Fortress Long Road and South returning the compliment 4-1 at St John’s later in the season.

The start was delayed as everyone that needed to travel from Essex (Nev, George, Rob and Neil?) were late so an extension to push back was sought and granted. This would usually not be positive for a team’s preparation, but South started lively and forced the opposition into conceding territory and possession high up the pitch. Joe then placed a laser guided aerial into the circle for the captain to glance over the smaller than average City goalie. Despite being halfway between the penalty spot and the top of the circle, Ash Dookun appeared for his trademark tap in from six inches to clearly make sure the goal would be legal!

South then decided to let City have the ball for the next twenty or so minutes. Smart possession and pleasing on the eye it was, penetrating and making clear cut chances it wasn’t. A melee in the South circle enabled score parity for the break. George made an initial double block before the City forward ricocheted the ball through his legs. Unfortunately for Neil on the line, he also lunged and thwacked his stick before stabbing the ball over the line. Fortuitous yes, but also very much deserved as the teams trudged off with honours even. Neil’s acrobatics earned him and his injured Achilles a very well earned rest.

Haribo was munched and the tough task was established. South must not only battle for thirty-five mins without any assistance from the bench, they would do so against a City squad of fifteen (four subs).

It took five minutes of great defensive and counter-attacking hockey for South to punch a hole in the City defence. The ball popped up at chest height and Simon Ta took a well-earned break from chatting to the City back line to glance home the second of the day for the mighty 3rds. This was good and bad for South in different ways. Taking the lead should have winded the opponents, but after doing this the team collectively took their foot off the accelerator and let City grab the initiative back. A clearance off the line resulted in the award of a penalty flick. George “ladies’ man” Toynton gave the cameras an excellent dive to view, only problem being it was in the opposite direction to the shot. Two-two and level again. City scored the decisive goal of the game by taking the lead for the first time in the encounter. Three smashed passes down the right wing and into the circle left a two man overload at the back post. The extra player wasn’t needed as the ball was dispatched with great power and furious anger into the near corner.

Rob Hartle then did the unimaginable. Taking the ball off the best City player (Number 10) he strode past about six tackles as he single handledly destroyed all in front of him. As the keeper strode out to make a last ditch tackle, Rob had a chance to knock his favourite reverse stick pass to the unmarked Nev Warren for an easy-ish tap in. Regrettably, he decided to dolly it into the keeper and wipe himself out. In defence, Josh Oldfield was like a man reborn in chasing down short corner after short corner and limping back despite being smashed on the chest, thigh and knees. The new rule of “running down the barrel” is often not applied to six divisions off of national league, but today it was and it led to Nev Warren receiving the team’s first green card of the season for verbalising his enquiry and Josh limping off the field like the hero he was!

Joe’s effort at trying to con the umpire that the City penalty corner taker had touched the ball in their patented fake shuffle caused amusement and almost a share of the lemon spoils.

Good start from the M3s and look forward to welcoming COP 6ths next week at Long road!