This was always going to be a tough battle for CSouth vs high flying Spalding. However the home side's evident advantages in fitness, youth, skill, speed, and composure came up against a well-motivated, and disciplined (mostly) CSouth, and were only able to score from 2 short corners and a rather dubious P flick.

Chris Collinson and his defensive shield of Nelson, and JelleyEvansKern kept te marauding fenland hordes out, only to be rewarded by two painful injuries to Nelson and Jelly that meant the away side only having 10 on the pitch as heroic Simon Jelley had to crawl off to the sideline only to reappear close to the opposition penalty spot for the entire second half.

CSouth had a number of smart sweeping attacking moves, and were able to penetrate the home defence through slick passing using the width of the pitch. Both wingers Nish Patel and Wilco Dijkstra caused problems with their terrier-like approach; Jonny Deacon and Paul South ran themselves into the ground in the cause, and were important links in most of our better moves. Unfortunately only one goal was converted by Tristan Knight with a terrific solo run, shimmy past the keeper and rasping shot. Others went close but coudln't find the net.

Spalding deserved their victory, as they were definitely the better side, but CSouth were certainly not disgraced and on another day could have snatched a result.

Match Teas at the Crown in Surfleet afterwards, and the XB bitter to wash it down, were brilliant.