The final regular league weekend of the season saw Cambridge South 3rds play host to Ely 4ths at the Abbey pitch. With Ely lying second-bottom in the table South were the favoured side but as we reach the squeaky-bum stage of the season the home team knew nothing could be taken for granted.

The first period of play was a slow-burn opening for South, who were concerned to establish a solid platform before pushing forward to put pressure on the Ely goal. South were competing well in midfield, with Matt Kern back to lend his usual composed assurance and Laurie Haslop and Tom South adding attacking verve going forward. Clear goalscoring chances were slow in coming early on but the pressure was mostly on Ely while the South defence, including John Benedikz making a welcome return to league action, remained relatively composed.

As the second quarter approached, South gradually turned the screw and chances began to appear. A surging attack into the Ely D brought up the first goal when David Doupé got his shot away and past the keeper. Ely continued to compete tenaciously and Neil Sneade had to be alert to block a hard-struck cross from South's right byline. Unfortunately, he blocked the slightly-rising ball with his ankle and promptly collapsed to the ground, eventually hobbling off with a badly bruised and slightly bloodied foot. Within minutes though, South had extended their lead courtesy of a beautifully flicked shot from Rupert Espley, placing the ball superbly beyond the keeper and dead centre into the open area of the goal. It remained 2-0 at half time, a solid if not commanding lead.

Coming out for the second period, South resumed their pressing play, confident more goals would follow. Indeed it proved, with first Tom and then Rupert again getting on the scoresheet to lend the scoreline an assured look. With the pressure of obtaining the result off, South relaxed and began to play some of their best hockey. Ely, having worked hard to compete with South for the first 40 minutes, were fading as the score tilted against them. Laurie's pacy dribbling was repeatedly opening up the opposition as holes appeared in their midfield, while Paul South and Matt were looking assured down the centre of the pitch.

South added further gloss to the scoreline when Neil, feeling having returned to his ankle, from right back anticipated an Ely pass and stepped in to intercept the ball, carrying it forward through the hole left in midfield before spying Goal-a-Game standing unmarked on the top of the D. The through ball found its target and Goal took a touch to bring the ball out from under his feet before hitting a clean strike low across the keeper to nestle in the far corner of the goal with a resounding thud.

The force was now firmly with South. Entering the final ten minutes, David matched Rupert's brace when picking up a rebound from Goal-a-Game to bring up the half-dozen. Unfortunately, this seemed to encourage South to get the metaphorical cigars out. The collective foot came off the gas and, with time ticking down to the final few minutes, Ely were allowed to run through at South's defence. Jan Brynjolffssen then made his late bid for the Lemon vote: as the covering defender he was comfortably on to a ball played through into the South D, collecting it before executing a superb lay off straight into the path of the oncoming Ely forward who gratefully finished with panache, putting a firm strike between Chris Collinson and his post. So the clean sheet was conceded but the result keeps South on course for their title challenge and promotion.