In a reversal of last week's pattern against St Neots, South transposed the Jekyll and the Hyde, conceding four goals in a difficult first half but then regrouping well to put the home side under pressure in a much more even second. Although South won five short corners in a ten minute period late in the game, they were unable to close the gap and were left ruing an unsettled start which saw them three goals down in the first quarter.

Indeed, Ely scored from their first penalty corner, just three minutes in, when a well-timed switch somehow ended up in South's net off a defensive stick. A second goal beckoned moments later as an Ely attacker raced unchallenged into the circle but keeper Steve Parker, with fine judgment, was swiftly out with an excellent stick tackle which blocked the shot and bought time for a clearance.

The home side kept their foot on the accelerator, though, and with their second short produced a low drag-flick which both Chris Graveling and Parker managed to get some wood on, but the ball ballooned up and was eagerly seized on by the second wave to make it 2-0. A third short was well stopped and cleared by Parker despite the closest of attention from the Ely forwards, whilst a fourth immediately after was charged down by left-back and authentic Road Runner impersonator Rob Garrett. But South were unable to clear their lines effectively and a textbook three-man move from Ely ended with an unmarked man on the spot whipping the third goal in past a slightly disorientated defence.

In these desperate circumstances, South at last began to recover some composure and organise themselves, with Rob Hay initiating a good, simple move up the wing through Andy Rose to John Taylor, and the hard-working Chris Baker, taking Graveling's feed, again releasing Taylor, who was fouled to give South their first short after fourteen minutes. This went unconverted and Ely continued to press strongly down the centre of midfield.

Garrett, Jim Thorpe and the cultured Vijay Agarwala manoeuvred their way convincingly out of trouble, however, and a more coherent approach to the build-up soon led to some dissension in the Ely ranks. Yet a string of two or three good passes too often tended to fizzle out or lack the final element of flair for a real breakthrough and Ely held on to their lead, which they would have extended in the twenty-third minute but for keeper Parker, who stonewalled a free shot from his left.

Garrett, meanwhile, continued to display a cool nerve in dribbling confidently out of defence, whilst at the other end Mark Freer put in a good cross which forced the Ely keeper into his first real action of the half. Freer was again behind a promising move which saw the determined Ryan Thomas apparently fouled by the keeper, but the half ended with South having to soak up more pressure at short corners as Ely sought to hammer home their advantage. After thirty-three minutes the ball was forced across a crowded D and a snap shot from one of the home forwards rattled in through a forest of bodies past an unsighted Parker.

After a brief whiff of smelling salts at the interval, South looked more joined up and Agarwala, shielding the ball well, worked nicely with the tireless Baker, who played intelligently throughout to find free space and call his availability. Baker it was who took a good pass from Freer and challenged the Ely keeper, only for the ball to be scrambled away at the death. Baker and Thorpe were instrumental in several further promising forays, with the normally earthy Thorpe putting up a finely-tuned aerial down the right and then working a classic give-and-go with Richard Morgan before the threat was snuffed out.

On forty-five minutes, an unpleasant-looking gap in midfield was quickly filled by a pair of Ely attackers and a simple pass gave one of them a big chance unmarked in top D, but Parker judged the shot nicely and angled it astutely out of danger with a good kick to his right. Hay then cut out a dangerous break before Garrett, who was virtually impassable at left-back in a fine exhibition of shadowing and deft tackling, streaked up the left and almost found an opening. Agarwala repeated the dose with a run of mazy brilliance and was only just denied at the last by the keeper, and then Thomas went wide after good approach work by Rose and Baker, backed by sterling defence from Graveling.

South survived a further Ely surge as an awkward deflection was tipped over the bar but then struck back with five short corners in a sustained spell of pressure triggered by Thomas and Rose. On the first, Baker's flick from a Thorpe switch was saved, whilst the second saw the keeper also stop a firm direct hit from Thorpe. In the meantime, Taylor sprinted gazelle-like (?? - alternatives on a postcard, please!) onto a clever held-up pass from Thomas before taking an unscheduled flight thanks to a firm diving tackle by the keeper. A third short on sixty-three minutes nearly brought results when a double slip by Thorpe freed Agarwala to shoot, but the flick was well diverted past the post. Thorpe was again in the thick of it when crossing to Taylor, who slid the ball wide to the right after the goalie had spreadeagled himself.

Baker then held close control in a confined space to help Agarwala set up Thomas, who won a final short with his favourite tricky manoeuvre. Thorpe switched right this time but Baker could not quite swivel his hips for the shot in timely enough fashion and, though South had the ball in the net twice in the last five minutes (both times unfortunately from outside the D), it was a case of too little, too late and too loose as the team were left to reflect on what might have been but for those first fifteen minutes.