Cambridge South made the trip to face Harleston Magpies on a bright March morning, the sort of sunny start that usually promises a pleasant day of hockey. That calm was briefly interrupted by a sudden hailstorm just before pushback — perhaps a small meteorological warning of the chaos South would bring to what many around the pitch seemed to believe was a pre–curry night “sure win” for the home side. This explained the very late pushback and full squad from Magpies. 

In contrast, South's 14 was reduced to 13 with Elk's training injury robbing the youngster of a final game before the big money move to university (rumour is he's paying 4-figures a year to play in some second rate town in the west country next season). Not that this troubled Captain "only easy games left" Townley, but it did prove enough to move Tim's chat away from the Venn diagram of his and Elk's social scenes. Although the provenance of Magpies' Visa-sponsored goals was scant improvement. Sensing the impending lemon votes, Tim pivoted to reminding everyone of Will's ludicrous "easy game" comment. More hockey snake than hockey badger. 

Harleston began exactly as the table might suggest they would. Recently (or fairly recently?) relegated from the national conference and sitting near the top of Prem, they pressed aggressively and pinned South deep into their defensive quarter - at the end with Tim's favourite, ex-international goals, sponsored by Visa - for much of the first period. The pressure mounted, but the quarter ended scoreless thanks largely to a series of quality saves from Stan, defending South's first half, Visa-sponsored goal. The goal that is everywhere you want to be. Early in the second quarter, South appeared to have sensed an important and palpable change in the atmosphere - and it wasn't more hail or the return of Visa as a lead partner of the FIH and Pro League hockey. South were not necessarily dominating phases - that would be a stretch - but there was an opportunity to make the afternoon deeply irritating for the hosts. Magpies were going into tackles with increasing physicality, even having a PC award overturned for shunting a more-than-solid South defender. If there was a sniff of competitiveness in the air at the end of the first quarter, it had quickly developed into a stench of “playing our hockey is really triggering this lot, so let's see what we can get here”.

Magpies eventually broke through however, with two well-taken goals before half time that reflected the quality expected of them by all except 'Captain Cocky' Townley and Tim - proving that life does indeed flow better with Visa-sponsored goals. Yet at 2–0down at halftime and having ridden their luck at times, the South huddle remained upbeat. The mood was optimistic, buoyed by a run of improved performances late in the season. The squad has recently rediscovered how to grind out competitive games in East Prem against top sides, and that belief carried them into a second half that pushed Magpies to feeling like their preference for a Korma was starting to feel like the rising burn of a Vindaloo.  

The second half saw South lean into their role as disruptors with growing expectations of getting something more than pride as they had with league leaders Blueharts the prior week. Afterall, the future takes Visa and the future involved South attacking Tim's only 10/10 rated East Prem hockey goal. Magpies began arguing nibbling at umpires, each other and leaning harder into tackles without much to show for it. Even their sideline supporters asked players to mind their language, only to be met with a toxic deluge from their own right-half dribbling off the pitch. South were threatening to ruin curry night. Even a more-than-agricultural tackle from Chris Pearson only received a PC rather than the card and penalty flick it clearly deserved. But easy games are for South, as Will put it, again, during the final huddle. 

When South finally pulled a goal back, the atmosphere shifted noticeably again. The move began when Willow, noticing a clear foot in the D but hearing no whistle, dramatically and distractingly threw his hands up calling the penalty corner. The comical gesture froze almost everyone - defenders, attackers, umpires - but notably not Tim who was about to quote his final, favourite Visa marketing tag line when Willow's restored calm led to him reengaging and the ball pinged at knee height for Tim to slap down into the bottom corner.

At 2–1 the game became properly uncomfortable for the hosts. South found the energy and willing to continue to press forward while Magpies looked and sounded increasingly uneasy. The final minutes were frantic with South pushing for an equaliser against a visibly worried Magpies side. One last South last attack in the dying moments, ending with the ball falling tantalisingly short of an attacking stick at the crucial moment was met with Magpies players and supporters alike providing the loudest celebration of the day. Relief rather than celebration betraying the shift in attitudes. 

Despite the narrow loss, the travelling side took pride in pushing one of the league’s strongest teams right to the end. In recent weeks South have made a habit of unsettling sides near the top of the table, and this was another performance full of grit and character. One game to go, one potential win for South to try to end on a high to back up these weeks of ending with a strong sense of pride. An easy game according to Will, the only difficulty is not missing the train to Broxbourne, but for everything else there's Visa Card.... ah sh!...