In a fascinating and fast-paced game which many felt was one of South's best ever, the University were vanquished by a superb all-round performance based on rock-solid defence and lethal counter-attacking moves with a high hit rate.

The University, swift, aggressive and confident from the start, gave notice of their intent with early domination of the South half but, after their first penalty corner had been deflected, a warning shot was fired across their bows when the thrusting Mark Pears beat four men on a direct run and slipped a pass to Russell Johnson arriving on cue at the left post. A firm second touch just eluded him as the goal thoughtlessly failed to bend to his will but South soon returned as Lukas Snetler mugged the home team's right winger and found Keith Hewitt close by. Hewitt danced his way up the flank before locating Pears, who picked his spot low with the defence well out of position.

The University redoubled their attacking efforts and it required all the sang froid that Chris Graveling and Matt Readman could muster to hold them at bay. They, as well as the classy Leo Tomita on the right and an unflappable Nick Young on the left, drew the sting with pinpoint tackling, drop-dead interceptions and swift distribution to the wings. Rob Garrett masterminded escape routes up the middle, while Chris Baker, fully appreciating the value of the early ball, fed quickly to right and left and was never afraid to impersonate a brick outhouse with men coming towards him.

Although the University continued to press from all areas, South developed the more effective impulsion going forward and another Readman-Snetler-Hewitt foray on the left side paved the way for Baker, finding himself in confined space at top left D, to play a cunning reverse scoop as daring as it was unpremeditated, with the result that the entire defence was wrong-footed as the ball found the bottom corner to double South's lead after 18 minutes.

Inexorable passing movements from the University were strangled by Young, Readman and Graveling and, when the ball did end up in a melee near the penalty spot, it was swiftly cleared upfield with a Hewitt cannon. South brought their right flank more into play, with good triangles between Readman, Tomita and Eliot Read, Read once neatly nutmegging a University defender before laying off to Garrett. Snetler displayed his Stakhanovite tendencies on the opposite side, feeding Hewitt, who was always threatening to rampage, but the University were never slow to turn defence to attack, forcing Readman and Tomita to pull off some death-defying tackles on the edge of the D. The biter was soon bit, though, as Tomita himself quickly squared to Garrett, who threaded a needle's-eye pass through to Hewitt. The Tassie Terror, cruising smoothly into the D, then slipped the ball in for the third as the home defence was again made to look static.

South's first-half performance, in which they never allowed the opposition to get in from the by-line whilst poaching brilliantly themselves, inspired greater confidence on the ball at the start of the second half and more continuous possession was the result, especially in the right-sided link between Tomita, Read and Johnson. Continued vigilance was required at the back, however, and the ubiquitous Garrett was one minute found reverse-tackling on his own back-line and the next ragging the ball cross-field to Pears, whose first-time flick was unlucky to be denied by a reflex stick save from the home keeper.

When the University finally managed to penetrate into the D, Readman put on his Santa Pod boots to rescue matters with a last-ditch poke away, but there was no respite as a home striker then found just enough room for a wicked rising reversed shot which Steve Parker in goal saw all the way, mastering it with his blocker before kicking to safety. South's resistance was finally broken after 50 minutes, though, when a slipped short was threaded back through the centre for an unmarked striker to tap home on the post.

This upped the ante for a thrilling last quarter, where each of South's rotating subs - not to say their breathless supporters - got through a substantial portion of fingernail. Garrett read an aerial cleverly, Young relieved pressure in the centre and Graveling made a clearance in desperando on the by-line. A fifth University short was stopped in its tracks by Young, who then stuck to the ball like glue as he manoeuvred it out through three onrushers, while Hewitt made the most of South's interludes of possession up front to try and drive the ball on to the hard-running Pears. South were indebted, too, to Garrett's uncanny reverse interceptions and telescopic tackling as the University explored all avenues from East to West, although Readman proved his equal in a tremendous all-action spell in the centre.

As the final ten minutes approached, it was all hands to the pump as Young deflected for a long, Snetler - fresh from a breather - made a key interception and Tomita whipped the ball straight off an attacking stick on the edge of the D. South then put together a thrilling coast-to-coast move at the end of which Snetler narrowly missed the left-hand post with a trademark reverse. The University for once got in round the back of the visiting defence and crossed menacingly but Parker was foursquare and kicked resoundingly out to touch.

Two more home penalty corners came and went as Young held the midfield, Readman threw himself into the fray with a diving tackle and Parker was out to block. The University increased the volume, clustering wholesale in the 25, but South held their lines brilliantly, with Read, Readman and Graveling all making crucial interventions and Baker sacrificing his body with a will when being dumped as he took the ball to safety. The home side's threat was eventually extinguished in the last couple of minutes when Johnson took command up the right and squared to the waiting Hewitt, who confused stick with boot, and South ended on top as a screamer from Snetler just whizzed past the top right of the University goal.

South can be justly pleased with this very gutsy and committed display, in which the opposition's frequent substitutions perhaps proved more of a hindrance than a help to their flow, and it was of particular note that individual players seemed to be settling well in appropriate positions, thus facilitating greater cohesion over wider areas of the pitch. The team remain top of Division 3NW on goal difference, with the dangerous Rutland next on the agenda.