Wet, cold and gloomy all round. A must win game for the M3s either way. After an astonishing comeback against Cambridge Uni last weekend the M3s have everything to play for in this game. The title is still on the cards.

Lets run down the lineup for today’s game.

It’s only right to start with the captain Adam Catley! He’s having a great second season as gaffer of the M3s. Only 2 losses all season and 4 points behind top of the league Long Sutton, with a game in hand. I'm sure his brother is proud that Adam is following in his footsteps as a quality defender.

Toynton’s back in between the posts today for the 3s. 3 clean sheets in 10 games, some would say that’s a poor stat, lets see if he can improve that record here in Kettering.

No 2s call up for Joe Whittaker this weekend. We’ve heard rumors that there was a falling out with the coach. Nothing confirmed as of this moment though, expecting big things from him today. 11 goals this season for the 3s. Definitely one to keep your eye on as he’ll want to get back on top of the Goal King leader board.

Jack Chalk is starting out of position today at right back. Not a common position for him however not unheard of. In fact Jack played the same position in this fixture last season. Maybe Adam Catley has seen something promising at training this week.

Next up, James Menzies, the rock of the 3s midfield. His 34th 3s appearance today. Not many goals from Menzies this season but my money is always on him to have his hand deep in anything that comes the way of the 3s.

Jimbo is back in the 3s for the first time this season. Some say his skiing habits and booze cruises didn't go down well with the captain and thus he fell out of favor. Hopefully his performance this afternoon can sway the gaffer's opinions going into the next string of games.

One for the records today as Vincent Maffet is a new name on the team sheet. His first ever 3s appearance. I'm sure the fans will have their chants ready when he comes off the bench.

Good to see Douglas Gibson playing again. Only 8 appearances this season all for the 3s. No word on the reason for all the absences, he must be a very busy man off the pitch.

Alexander Haglund scored the second goal of his career at the start of this season and a couple 2s appearances this year. I hear there are ongoing talks with the 2s capitan about a more permanent position however Adam Catley is after more money from the move.

Alistair Smith is once again named as VVVV Captain on the sheet. I have an inside source that claims he wants to remove a few of those V’s from his title next season. Also playing out of position today. Normally up top, but he’s down here as an inner today. I wonder how he feels about that as it's in direct violation of his contract. We’ll try and catch up with him after the game.

Charlie Curedale-Rayner (aka CR 111) Hasn't scored since November 25th in a 4 - 1 win for south at home against spalding. Apparently he’s looking for a new agent as his last one couldn't get him a consistent team. His playing record is all over the place, even some games for the 2s if you can believe that. But he's back where he thinks he belongs today. Hopefully he doesn't embarrass himself (foreshadowing).

Oscar Wilson-Toy is a consistent name on the 3s sheet. Some call him the Lion of the 3s he informed us before the game. After a couple disappointing performances with the 2s this season, the 2s capitan has vowed [on record] to never pick him again. Not sure why he was selected in the first place but we all make mistakes.

Ben Bird is a new up and coming star for the 3s. This being his 3rd game for the team. He’s been running rampant in the 4s all season and reportedly seeking some more challenging hockey. He’s Only lost 1 game at South. Maybe he’ll bring some google luck today.

Shin Kim arrives in Kettering donning bright pink trousers. A bold move for such an inspirational player. Fun stat here, unofficial club man of the decade. Now that's one to tell the kids.

The Game:

0-0 at Half Time. Though the score doesn't tell the whole story. Cambridge south with around 75% possession. Some great transition work in the midfield and solid defending. The issues are all in the final quarter of the pitch. A handful of shots, many on target, you could say too on target. Straight at the keeper. He’s a big chap but no excuse for the seasoned veterans up front. A 3 on 1 chance squandered by CR 111. I wouldn't want him to be alone with the Captain at half time.

1-0 Full Time. More of the same really. Solid at the back, only 2 touches the whole game from the South keeper. More issues at the top. CR 111 with an xG of 7.3 and no goals to show for it. Even Mr Goal King (contender) himself couldn't find the back of the goal today. From what we could tell Jack Chalk had seen enough in defense and took it upon himself to show up the forwards and do the job himself. A scrapy goal but a goal nonetheless.

Player of the match: Vincent Maffet, a solid debut. Great performance. Whispers on the sideline of a permanent contact however we all know those are very difficult to come by.

Lemon of the match: Charlie Curedale-Rayner, profligate finishing. Sums it up quite nicely actually.

Another win for the M3s however I imagine lots to do on the training ground at the top end of the pitch.

Post match interviews:

We are here VVVV Captain Alistair Smith. So Ali, what did you think of the game today?

Well we had 90% possession, 30 shots on target 1 goal. A poor performance from CR 111. Vince had a great debut. Ozzy flagged from last weekend's antics (not sure what this comment is in reference to, maybe Ozzy is due a fine from a clubbing appearance). Stuffy goal from Jack. Shin had pink trousers.

Now we have Ozzy talking to us. So Ozzy, what did you think of the game?

Well the weather was grim. The pitch was sandy and nothing much happened in the first half. Struggling to get to our usual pace of game. Similar second half. Lucky Jack got a goal or we’d only have one point. I think the issue CR 111 had was that he was trying to pay for his goals with his card; however, it was cash only. Also, Shin had pink trousers.

We tried to get a comment from the goal scorer Jack Chalk after the game but he wouldn't stop going on about Jimbo’s parking. Apparently it made the day of a local. Maybe he took a ball to the head in the dressing room. The only other thing we got was that Shin had pink trousers.

Another day another win for the Cambridge South M3s. That's all we have today, thank you and good night