In a painfully early push-back local rivals South and Nomads resumed hostilities once more in the final pre-season friendly before the league campaign kicks off next week. The game started evenly, with Nomads creating some good early chances before South came back into the game with their own opportunities to take the lead - Keith Hewitt putting the second over the bar after fine work from Chris Baker down the inside right channel - but the match turned when South scored 2 goals in the final 10 minutes of the half. James Cobbe opened the scoring from close range before Mark Pears buried a cross from the right into the bottom corner.

From here it was always going to be difficult for Nomads to get back into the game but they stuck to their task gamely and kept South pinned back in their half as the second period began. Pushing more players forward left gaps at the back, though, and South were able to take advantage. In their only short-corner of the game Keith Hewitt struck to make it 3-0, before Rob Garrett added a fourth when he capitalised on a defender's miss-control in the D.

Nomads were able to pull one back at this point when a loose ball in the South defence was quickly pounced upon and dispatched past Shahbaz with nothing he could do to prevent it. But South had the final say when Mark Pears grabbed his second of the game with a handy finish from close range.

Nomads will rue their missed chances in the first half, but after South took the lead they never looked like losing and fine performances throughout the team gave a well-deserved victory. Next week the league fixtures begin and they can look forward to the game against Peterborough in confident mood.