Cambridge South 3rd XI set off to play Blueharts 5ths with only five of last years regular starters and only nine players in total but put in a performance that bodes well for the rest of the season.

South started slowly and Blueharts deservedly took the lead after five minutes as the team attempted to gel together. South failed to pick up a long pass into their box and in the resulting confusion the ball was bundled into the back of the net, leaving keeper Mubashir Niaz stranded.

The goal jump-started South who then surged forward in search of an equaliser. As South kept pushing forward, driven well by centre half Tom Harrison, they created more and more chances. Then, after another strike on goal appeared to have been cleared away, Jack Chalk picked the ball up on the baseline and struck the ball from an extremely acute angle into the back of the Blueharts net.

Although South looked solid going forward the backline of Andrew Pounce, John Benedikz, debutant John Sharp and a borrowed player looked a little vulnerable and as legs tired towards the end of the half another ball into the box was not picked up and the was duly despatched into the bottom corner of the South goal.

South came out for the second half all guns blazing, pushing Blueharts back well into their own half. Strong passing by David Bridge down the left and a series of long dribbles down the right by James Pope kept Blueharts penned into their own box. Eventually Cambridge South forced a short corner off the foot of a defender. Benedikz pushed the ball out to Chalk who struck to the near post where it was deflected towards goal by Benedikz, only to be cleared for another short corner by a deliberate foot. The same corner routine occurred again only this time the ball was deflected over the line for 2-2.

South pressure continued for most the second half with Chalk and Wilco Dijkstra continuing to be thorns in the side of the Blueharts backline. They created several more chances, the closest being when a trademark Chalk run round the back of the defence could not quite pick out an unmarked Harrison on the penalty spot.

Once again legs tired and the South defence came under some pressure. This time thanks to some fantastic tackles by Sharp and Pounce, Blueharts failed to break through.

The final scoere of 2-2 reflected an even game in which South had the better chances and could easily have won.