Cambridge South, proudly sponsored by PwC, finished their pre-season friendlies with a poor performance against Kettering. South took the lead early in the game when Rob Garrett exchanged neat passes with Tim Clapp and then slid the ball under the on-rushing keeper with a pleasing reverse-stick sweep. But this was as good as it got for the home side, as Kettering gradually got into the game and scored twice before the break.

The pace of the South front line had caused problems for Kettering in the first half and opportunities fell to Forrest, new boy Mark Taylor and Finn Johnson, but they weren't able to put the ball in the back of the net. Kettering made them pay for this profligacy in ruthless fashion; carving open the South defence 3 more times in the second half.

With 14 players turning up on the day, it was unsurprising that Cambridge showed a lack of fluidity at times. Swapping players on and off the field was useful for getting players back into the game after the summer lay-off, but it put a strain on the cohesion that we're used to seeing in this side. And with Kettering having their own coach on the sidelines to adjust their tactics and organise the substitutions, it was no surprise that they played with structure and great organisation.

In the end, South were unable to cope with the movement and passing of Kettering and will be disappointed to concede so many goals with only 1 in reply. Next week the league season begins and they will need to show a marked improvement if Captain Chris Baker's vision of promotion is to be fulfilled (or even threatened).