The blow of a boreal wind and the snow of the coldest winter night in seven years were no match for the dogged determination of Jan and his team to have the pitch ready in time for this important clash of teams fighting to avoid relegation.

Armed with shovels and brushes the pre-match warm up cleared the pitch to a verdant green and with the sun now shining South took up their positions to start. That is except Stu, who toyed between wearing track suit bottoms and boxers as the traditional playing shorts were somehow absent. Thankfully for all concerned he chose the former and we were underway.

Throughout the first half South looked the stronger side with Jo in particular causing the opposition problems up front. The skilful defence of St Neots held firm however and the visitors were not without their own attacks, requiring solid defensive work from the back line of Jan, Dave, George, Pete, and Matt in goal.

But with better passing and moving South increasingly threatened with several balls hit into the D only centimetres from a South stick, first Rob, then Paul. Oh, so close. But then on twenty minutes the Oli's combined, Scott thundered a superb cross to the back post where Weston had shaken off his marker to be perfectly placed to tap in. South were ahead.

The second half continued much the same (though Stu now had shorts!) with James, John and JJ in the centre increasingly finding space and distributing well to Jelley and Stu out wide. Further crosses followed and short corners, but a second goal proved frustratingly elusive. Such as when Dave drove forwards from defence with gusto and, finding himself in the D with ball on the stick, swung ferociously. The result was closer to felling a tree than scoring a goal, but it lifted the South players to up their game.

St Neots, though now tired with no substitutes to our four, never failed to give it their all and continued to threaten, making it a nail biter for the courageous crowd braving the cold. But one-nil it stayed; three vital points for the team.