After two defeats on the trot, Cambridge South 2nds made the long trek through the fens to Skegness knowing that they needed a win to sustain any hope of a promotion push this season. Facing an Alford team without a league win this season, anything other than three points was unthinkable.

The early news wasn't good as South discovered that their captain, Kev Rowland, had picked up a nasty dose in the week and was consequently out of action with the lurgy, leaving him stranded at home on the sofa surrounded by a mounting pile of Kleenex: just another weekend in the Rowland household, then.

With Matt Kern heading to China rather than Skegness (apparently the travel time is less), the depleted 2nds were restored to strength by 1sts' vice-captain Eliot Read, South's answer to Ole Gunnar Solskjær agreeing to forsake his own sick bed to make the eleventh man.

In contrast to the previous weekend's dissolute time-keeping, South arrived at the pitch a clear hour before the scheduled push-back. The punctual arrived was aided by acting captain George Wych's beast of an Audi RS6, its 450bhp meaning only eighteen inches of clear road were needed to overhaul any dilatory tractors meandering along the fenland roads. The minutes saved by the rocket-propelled overtaking manoeuvres surely compensated for the resulting mild whiplash.

As push-back approached, surprisingly it was the home team who found themselves a man short, an umpire short and a keeper's helmet short, resulting in some delay while all three were located. On a cold, clear day, South suffered a reverse before the game even got underway when George lost the toss and South were compelled to play directly into the setting afternoon sun. Keeper Lino Di Lorenzo's admission that he couldn't see any balls above knee height and that everyone in front of him, attackers and defenders alike, were just dark silhouettes meant that preventing anything getting through the defence would be vital.

When the game got underway it was Alford who belied their lowly league position by forcing the play in the opening period. Placing their strongest players down the centre line of their team, Alford were able to contest the middle of the park and prevent South running through them. While South succeeded in denying Alford any clear-cut shooting opportunities, they were struggling to establish control of possession themselves. With ten minutes gone, it was decided to switch Dave Stock out to his favoured right midfield position and bring Alex Pooles into the centre, in front of Eliot holding behind.

The change seemed to work as South gradually gained more control of the ball. The struggle between the teams to assert dominance in midfield was hard fought, particularly when a swing of an Alford stick missed the ball and caught shadowing right back Neil Sneade square across the windpipe. After a pause, Neil was fortunately able to resume.

The breakthrough for South, when it came, saw Dave Aston come in from the left to win a loose ball in midfield before playing an early pass forward through a gap in the Alford defence to Mark Pears inside the twenty-five yard line. Taking the ball in his stride, Arsenal advanced inside the top edge of the D before working space to crack off a shot. The ball flew past the keeper's left but the expected 'thud' was replaced with a 'ting' as the ball hit the post dead-on. Almost before the disappointment could register, though, that lurking predator Rob Barton appeared to knock the ball over the line from all of six inches.

Their composure somewhat restored, South steadily increased the pressure. A ball played into the plentiful space on the right wing was picked up by Stocky who sped towards the area and slipped the ball under the advancing keeper. His wild celebrations ("My goal! HURGH! Yeah! Yeah! Wooo!") were premature, however, as his confident call to Arsenal to leave the ball proved mistaken as his strike had been played just before his momentum carried him into the D. Mark watched the ball roll over the line only to see the umpire promptly blow for a sixteen yard hit: that'll teach him to be unselfish.

Fortunately, the embarrassing boob was soon rectified. Another South foray into the Alford D resulted in some desperate defending before the ball was cleared out to the left. However, it only went as far as Neil, supporting the attack just inside the twenty-five yard line. He gathered the ball and, seeing a gap open up in the D, swept it diagonally towards the P spot. The pass wasn't hard but it found the channel through the crowd of bodies to reach Arsenal, who hit a first time shot to send the ball past the stranded keeper.

At the turn-around, South knew that with their increasing dominance a third goal would finish the game; on the other hand Alford had shown enough that if the home side were the next to score, it would be "game on". With the last rays of the sun now on their backs, it was South's turn to dazzle the defence. Alford were competing hard but South were looking strong in the centre, with Alex winning ball up front while Eliot, despite his cold, showed a tremendous engine to get up into the D to take shooting chances and get back to contain the still-threatening Alford breaks, which were looking their best chance to score. In front of the defence, Ian Evans was having a sterling game at sweeper, winning the loose balls and playing accurate passes forward, while George swept up any attacks that got through and Ron Oren provided a constant outlet on the left with firm balls down the line.

More fluid passing from South was beginning to open up the Alford defence and good chances fell to forwards Rob and Arsenal as well as Stocky on the right, but good approach play seemed to be repeatedly undone by a poor choice of final ball or a lack of composure when the shooting chance presented itself. After a succession of missed opportunities, it was Dave Aston who finally secured the points for the visitors. From the top left of the D, he carried the ball across to the right holding off the defenders' tackles and, after the umpire had sensibly played advantage from an Alford foul, found the space to make the shot and buried it into the back of the goal.

With a quarter of the game remaining, South were forced to work hard as Alford made a determined effort to recover the deficit with their best spell of the match. Lino, up until now mostly a spectator in goal, was called into action as a dangerous ball through the middle turned the defence. Quickly off his mark, he rushed out of his area to beat the onrushing attacker to the ball and, showing great awareness as his charge carried him out of the D, make a spectacular sliding sweep using his reverse stick to knock the ball wide and clear. Several more firm kicks cleared anything coming near him. Forced to defend several short corners, "the Cat" and his defence cleared their lines each time.

Having weathered the Alford assault, South reasserted their control and finished the game on the front foot. After a long journey and demanding game, Skegness Grammar School's fine changing facilities were well-appreciated, not least by Stocky who showed that it's not only the ladies who appreciate having a mirror and hair dryer in their dressing rooms. A final score of 3-0 scarcely did justice to the opportunities created but what was ultimately a workmanlike, rather than inspired, performance was enough to take the points.