After a tough run of results against some of the strongest teams in the league, the lads were looking to get back to winning ways against UEA 1s and prove they were in the mix at the top of the league.

The pre-game chat from the umpires gave a weird sense of foreboding, with them laying down the threat of cards for asking how long was left to the wrong umpire, strange and unsettling indeed.

The game got off to a frenetic start with the students clearly either still hungover or drunk or probably both and certainly still yet to fully wake up. South started with intensity, keeping the opposition pinned in their half for the first 10 mins. Multiple chances arrived and sadly left again without a goal. South, tactically astute as ever, decided to let up the pressure a little, drawing the students out and then immediately counterpunched to go 1-0 up with a cleverly taken short corner routine. Tim nabbed the goal with a hard slap that took a deflection and looped over the keeper, with Bailey “selflessly” trying to claim the goal because he was unsure whether Tim’s shot was inside the D or not.

South continued to push for the second goal, however, the students started to get a foothold in the game and with their very first shot on target drew the scores level. The rest of the first half played out on a more even footing, with chances exchanged but no more goals. HT 1-1.

The infamously inspirational half time team talk from captain Sam left the boys feeling full of hope and optimism, the world their oyster, the pitch their field of dreams. They were now ready to go grab those three points and reassert themselves near the top of the league table. That was the plan at least.

The second half resumed with the students showing signs of sobering up and putting South under some pressure. Again, chances were exchanged, with South continually working the ball well down the side-lines and even managing to roll the ball across the oppositions goal line when it seemed harder not to score, but alas the lead escaped their grasp.

The game was getting increasingly frantic again, but this time South failed to use this to their advantage and UEA managed to take the lead. 2-1. South, motivated by the students taking a somewhat shock lead, immediately struck back to level again. Schu finishing sharply after a bit of pinball inside the D.

Things took a spicier turn with some physical jostling and, with the umpires itching to get involved, Schu receiving a green card for a gentle nudge on a player breaking through midfield. Humby also got a lime-coloured card to go with his lemon of the match award. Which I’m not bitter about one bit, honest.

The game was poised at 2-2 and South could sense three points were theirs to be taken, but, yes, you guessed it… their bubble was abruptly popped once more with the ball being nicked off one of our defenders for a quick strike. 3-2 to UEA. But, yes, you also guessed it… South returned the favour again in seconds with Captain Sam finishing neatly at the far post after some smart work by Will “TefLOM” Townley (named so in my head only after Sam’s previous persistent LOM-smear campaign wouldn’t stick). 3-3.

South went on the attack and almost delivered a potential champagne moment, with Brigadier Browne firing a bomb of an aerial behind enemy lines to Humby who managed to work the space for a shot away from the retreating defenders but fired the reverse shot over the bar. Big chance missed. South still marched forward putting the opposition under considerable pressure. However, the students took advantage of a quick break opportunity and sealed the topsy turvy affair, scrambling a scruffy chance in. 4-3 to the students.

A gutting result after some bright hockey, particularly in the first half, and plenty of heart to come from behind multiple times.

MOM – Schu – well deserved for plenty of grit, smart tackling and sharply nabbing his first league goal for South. 

LOM – Humby – for a mixture of reasons including some poor reverse hitting, but mainly because Sam finally got enough dirt on a victim to make it stick.

Teas – subpar to say the least – 2/5. A selection of ham, cheese and jam(!?) sandwiches served in a plastic bread bag. Pitiful, even on a student budget.