Despite being a miserable day on a miserable state of a pitch, the M3's played some of their best hockey this season. The makeshift back line made up of largely midfielders and forwards (Seb, Matt and Jack) held a composed and tidy defensive shift together with the guiding hands of Anns and Danny. The only downside of that setup came when the wingback playing short corner injector was obviously miles out of position, allowing Kettering to score a well finished breakaway goal mid way through the first half.

Despite the set back, the midfielders of Alec, Gabe and Ricardo continuously found gaps through the middle of the field and made what magic they could with the ball on a pitch akin to a sand pit. Menzies continued to prove he could keep up with the lower level M3's, pulling the strings throughout.

The only other half chance for Kettering was swiftly closed down by Joe in goal. They can't score if their feet are wiped out from beneath them.

With the difficulty of the pitch and the conditions, the team struggled to feed the forwards to really challenge the opposition keeper. But as the match progressed and time started to run away from them, the forwards started finding new energy and really pressed Kettering for all their worth in the last 15. Ollie, Jamie, Joe and Josh (the OJ's..?) hustling the back line and turning them over again and again in dangerous positions.

The team thought they had an equaliser as a Kettering defender deflected the ball in the air to Dave at the back post, alas for his "spasmed, frantic, chewy finish" to miss the gaping open goal. However, the canny Irishman made amends moments later running clear of the defence and tucking away a significantly harder finish past the keeper.

With seconds left on the clock the umpire awarded a Kettering short, but then Kettering were judged to take too long to take the corner and anticlimactically brought the spectacle of a game to an end. Strange day.

Alas, the M3's returned home with a point. That is we assume everyone got home, if Ollie's electric car reached a services before running dry* and Anns bladder held out long enough for the journey.

*editors note: it did, which is better than Danny's car on the way to the game which had to be abandoned at Ollie's as it wasn't going to make it