Although riding high on 4 consecutive wins, Cambridge South 2s knew they had to pull out all the stops to secure a win over Ely 2s, who - until recent reversals - had reigned supremely at the top of the league. Gamely rising to the challenge, the team started out brightly, with the midfield trio of Rich Claes, Tristen Knight and Russell Johnson (on loan from the 1s, while recovering from a recent cold) harrying Ely sufficiently to keep play well away from the home goal. Scant minutes had passed when Tristen played a pin-point pass to Rob Barton, who’d slipped behind the defence, took the ball around the goalie and calmly buried it into the gaping goal.

As the home side kept up the pressure, it’s wasn’t too long until the lead got doubled. A South short corner saw Mariano Rosenzvaig and Bhav Virdi test out the pads, before Rich’s strike was deflected in by Rob - always mindful of Goal Kings. As the half proceeded, Ely finally found some composure and started to exert some pressure of their own, winning a few short corners. Conceding nothing more than a bloody lip for Ron Oren, South found themselves going into half-time with a healthier lead than the skipper’s face.

In the second half, South again were the faster team out of the blocks, taking the game immediately to the visitors’ defence. This time, when the ball fell to Rich after a slightly sloppy moment in the Ely D, he dispatched the ball far enough from Rob to get the goal himself. To Ely’s credit, they did not crumble, but actually stepped up their game and started to press South back. Soon enough, their efforts paid off with a goal of their own: 3-1 and Ely fancied themselves back in the game.

As South attacked again, straight from push-back, an umpire’s decision was contentious enough for one of the visitors to voice his disapproval. Being shown a yellow card, he - somewhat foolishly - carried on in the same vein, only to see the card turn red - the first one most players ever saw. Feeling hard done by, this only spurred Ely on, though: the remaining 10 fought like lions to salvage something of their day. Credit where credit’s due: not only did they keep South away from their goal, they even managed to get a second score and fancied themselves back in the game.

Eventful as the game had been, it wasn’t over yet. One man and one goal up, South found itself surprisingly embattled by a resurgent Ely side, when their own ranks faltered. Mariano’s hot South-American blood flared up in the guise of a few unwise remarks, which earned him a card of his own (mercifully the lighter coloured one). Ely, however, decided that numerical equality was not to their liking and retaliated with lip of their own and a second player forced to admire the goal from behind; which he promptly attempted to refurbish with his stick. As the final minutes ticked by, South managed to hold on to their lead, and tempers, to get away with the three points.

Although at times too close to comfort, it was a good win in the end. Once again, South showed that they can play excellent hockey and, more importantly, that they have the grit to battle when it’s needed. With one rival dispatched of, the team will be looking to keep this form in upcoming matches and notch up a few more points.