After a day spent sat sitting around waiting for our hockey match, South headed over to Bury for a boxing match of a hockey game. 
 
Ding ding – the contest started. 
 
Round 1
 
Round 1 started in the changing rooms, or for Lucy, prior to leaving upon leaving her hockey socks at home. Well, the socks came off (or were never on) and after the usual rousing team talk, the team headed out to the arena for a middleweight match. 
 
 
Round 2
 
No trash talk was required and the two teams set to it from the off. Trading blows with each other, South quickly settled into a rhythm and their speed and energy quickly found holes in the Bury defence. 
 
Round 3
 
Our forwards worked hard to find openings, Izzy with her fancy footwork and stealing of the ball making lightwork of defenders, Hannah battering them down the sides landing punch after punch into the D and Jess R with her unrivalled leads and skill, time after time landing left and right hooks to almost bring them to their knees. Alas, failing to land the killer uppercut blow. 
 
Round 4
 
It was Bury that secured the first real blow of the match. Their defence, lacking the finesse to work around South, launched a savage assault of huge hits deep from within their 25 and managed to break through to their forwards who sank a shot into our goal.
 
Round 5
 
However, this was not South up against the ropes. Once again, and through the work of our screens and inners, we regained composure. Combinations of cross-left hooks from Jess W, deft jabs from Katie, interlinked with Kate smacking targeted crosses up the pitch, Alice dispatching their mids making it look like light work and Evie controlling and pulling strings from the middle.
 
Round 6
 
The dominance paid off and South won a short. A quick injection had Hannah slipping it across to an awaiting Alice who scraped a sickening right hook towards goal. Jess W followed it up with a flourish, a cheeky jab and Bury’s found themselves on their knees. Failing to beat the count, the umpires easily awarded the goal. 
 
 
Half time
 
The referees signalled for a break and each team retreated into their respective corners for sustenance and instructions from their captains and teammates. 
 
 
Round 7
 
By the second half of the fight, it was clear South was in command. Despite jolting punches, South’s defence remained steadfast. Kim in trademark style blocked any attempts made by the oppositions forwards, Anna in her cool calm collected style parried away efforts to land in blows from the side, Jenny deflected their best shots and neutralised any combinations and Carrie knowing the best form of defence is countering, was quick to link back up with the midfield. 
 
 
Round 8
 
Such is sport and in a turn of events Bury found themselves in striking position in our D. Channelling the aggression Tim has been preaching, and without hesitation, Zoe was quick to come off her line, knowing there were two yellow teammates behind her covering the goal. *May I just add she won the ball* The Bury player found themselves floored and unable to get up for the count. Referee whistle, penalty stroke to Bury… A cheap low left shot had them scoring, regaining them the lead. 
 
 
Round 9
 
After an attacked strayed low from Bury, Alice was taken out. Bated breath… a knockout everyone feared? No, just trademark Alice football theatrics. When Bury, in a very unsportsmanlike manner, attempted to continue play with Alice still laying on the ground, a well placed grab around Bury’s stick managed to stir the umpires into action, who paused the bout for both teams to reset. 
 
ROUND 10
 
Hell hath no fury like a Kim scorned and this was the final straw for Kim, who’s red mist descended upon seeing her teammate being so poorly treated. Bury supporters, seemingly oblivious to wild look in her eyes, further poked the bear and Kim was dishing out (metaphorical) punches to both the players and now the spectators too. 
 
ROUND 11
 
The Suffolk team’s corner were anxious at once, and with good reason. Without hesitation, or remorse, South set out once again. A flurry of jabs, hooks and crosses had Bury boxed into their end. Pouncing on the opportunity, Jess W landed the killer blow (again) and had the opposition flat on their back, looking up as the punch landed home between the goalposts. 
 
ROUND 12
 
Once more, South found themselves with a short corner just as the referees signalled for the end of the match. Injection out to the wall of purple. Evie hit a powerful left blow, with such force it dinked Bury’s own stick and hammered home straight between the posts. 
 
 
 
After not much deliberation, because let’s face it we were all over them, the umpires lifted Jenny’s arm up, South victorious. 
 
 
They call it a graveyard slot for a reason, Bury were well and truly buried. 
 
P.S. Hi Kate’s mum
 
P.P.S. A link to socks in case anyone needed it – https://shop.cambridgesouthhockeyclub.co.uk/away-socks

*Note from the captain, this isn't quite the order things happened but we love the story