Like the curate's egg, South were again good in parts in this important derby fixture against fellow-strugglers Cambs Nomads II, but the defensive lapses which have dogged the team in recent weeks finally undermined a worthy comeback which at one stage promised to yield all three points.

Continuity of personnel has proved something of problem thus far and Saturday's game was no exception as the absence of Rob Garrett, Andy Rose and Veejay Agarwala led to three enforced changes from the squad who played against Ely.

The balance of the early play belonged to Nomads, who had three strong attacks in the first five minutes. Their first short, after three minutes, was successfully steered away by the diving Steve Parker, who then aggressively dispossessed the Nomads' right-winger after chasing him along the goal-line. Chris Graveling put in several uncompromising challenges, aided by Richard Morgan, but a neat move from the visitors' right opened up a yawning gap which was deftly exploited by a Nomads forward, who bore down into the D and put away an immaculately-timed chip over the exposed Parker. The South keeper then crucially blocked a free shot from a double-shimmied short before sprinting out to the right corner and nervelessly clearing from an unmarked winger with a diving stick tackle.

Debutant François Lemoine showed his mettle by racing out to stop the shot from Nomads' third short on 10 minutes but, after skipper Jim Thorpe and Ryan Thomas had won some good ball in midfield, another defensive breakdown let the Nomads' right-winger into the D unchecked. Spotting the danger early, Parker ate up the ground to dive and make the block, but a second unaccompanied Nomads forward was on hand to sweep the ricochet into the net off a defensive stick. Nomads had a fourth short on seventeen minutes, but Morgan, with a neat tackle, and Graveling, with a first-time clearance, saw off the threat. Parker had to clear again moment later as Nomads again rounded the back line and the recovery was completed when Matt Murray sensibly reverse-sticked it to safety down the left wing.

John Taylor then barged his way down the opposite wing, drawing an obstruction, and South soon won a long and then their first short. Thorpe hit cleanly, forcing the keeper to save, a mite woodenly perhaps, and this chance seemed to inspire South to a better-organised passage of play. Murray, Chris Baker and Rob Hay interpassed nicely, Lemoine showed a good turn of pace out of defence and Graveling was, as usual, solidity personified. Murray hit the side-boards after a long, Baker put through Taylor, who was denied by the keeper, and when Nomads attacked again, Doug Leckie dribbled out of the home D with a measure of sang-froid.

But, on the stroke of half-time, Nomads' number eighteen broke through three tackles to force the visitors' fifth short, which was switched to the right before being hit back across the D. A Nomads winger poised on the far post was already turning in celebration as he redirected the ball goalwards but Parker, flying to his right, gloved it away to keep South in the game.

South profited from this escape and, after the break, they imposed themselves increasingly, with Baker in particular working overtime to create useful openings. On thirty-nine minutes, it was Baker who bundled through into the right of the circle and delivered the perfect feed to Thomas, who scored arguably the goal of the season so far with a quickly-struck reverse shot high over the goalie's right shoulder. South upped the pace despite their opponents' willingness to move forward and, over the next ten minutes, won a succession of penalty corners, but neither the slip nor the direct hit brought dividends as shots from Thorpe, Taylor and Leckie all found the keeper's pads.

Promisingly, the South forwards began to close down defensive hits out - not always a feature of previous games - and, at this stage, Nomads looked distinctly second best although Parker was forced to save on the ground after a rare break-out. Baker worked hard to win South's fifth short after 53 minutes, which was kicked clear after Leckie's shot, and led the battle for midfield domination as the game became a little scrappier. A long ball in from Thorpe led to another short four minutes later and, this time, it was the skipper himself who jubilantly rifled home a well-angled drive for the equaliser.

The play then seesawed agonisingly as Nomads hit wide from a good chance in the right of the D and Thomas narrowly missed after a pretty four-man move involving Murray, Thorpe and Baker. Lemoine, who improved encouragingly as the game went on, remained calm under pressure, tackling and hitting strongly at left-back and, when Murray was heavily decked to gain a free hit in the sixty-third minute, South were on the offensive just outside their opponents' twenty-five. But, despite further good work from Leckie and Baker, the tide turned when Nomads' left-winger put in a long run down the side and was left unchallenged along the goal-line to deliver a simple pass which was gleefully tapped in for what proved to be the winning goal four minutes from time. Despite all South's efforts, exemplified by the inexhaustible Baker, Nomads retained control and defended desperately to see out the game, leaving a crestfallen home side to wonder what they must do to start climbing the table.