Not only did South L5s line up against Wisbech as underdogs (Wisbech having won the previous two games fairly comfortably), some of the L5s were lined up for the second time of the day – having had hockey for breakfast over at Bury before driving to Long Road for a second helping. Oh, and some of the L5s lined up in a bit of a fluster having arrived for a 13.30 warm-up, which turned out to be a 13.30 push-back due to a minor miscomm…resulting in a LoM-nom for our captain! Still, nothing like a last minute panic to deliver a good jolt of adrenaline and get the ball rolling fast.

South pushed back and for the first twenty minutes a good battle ensued, with Loopy making a fabulous overhead save early on. But South held our nerve and our shape. The defence was well organised, and the midfield ran their socks off in support (the sound of Claudia’s stick as it intercepted various Wisbech strikes was remarkable) and created several opportunities, resulting in the Wisbech goalie getting plenty of practice. After sustained pressure, Sarah put one away and South went into half time feeling quietly confident.

The sun emerged for the second half (or that’s how I remember it anyway), and South delivered a strong all-round team performance, with good communication and passing. Sarah, Juliet and Bex got stuck in with some fantastic runs, passes and strikes, building an impressive goal tally: Sarah scored a hat-trick, earning her player of the match, Juliet bagged two and Bex netted one. Wisbech kept their heads up and managed to convert a short corner to score one back, but – despite a minor tantrum and stick throw – they couldn’t make a comeback and the game finished six-one to South. We have come a long way this season, and it felt great to win our final encounter with Wisbech. Well played, all!