The 2nds travelled to Ely with a team featuring a few new faces, looking to avenge a 3-2 league defeat earlier in the season.

South started the game brightly when James Pope, making his debut from the team following elevation from the Thirds, chased down a loose ball in the D, work himself a bit of space, and crashed home from close range to give South an early lead.

Ely had began the game a man down, but even the arrival of the rest of their side, including their regular goalkeeper, did little to affect South's control of the game. Andy Bleach, donning the pads for the first time this season, would report at half-time that he had had only one save to make and that from a short.

South best attacks continued to revolve around Popey, with one typically coruscating run seeing him drive unluckily against the post, another seeing him crudely tripped when bursting through, which might in a league game have produced a penalty-flick, before a he added a deserved personal and team second shortly before half-time. Johnny B picked up the ball deep in his own half, one inch from the touchline, and proceeded to drive up that line, beating three men, always maintaining the same miniscule distance in play, before centring for James. From there Popey beat his man-marker, knocked it past a further defender and joyously nutmegged the keeper. Great goal.

Ely came out far stronger in the second-half, following the introduction of a talented young player. Continually feed the ball by his father in the Ely rearguard, his direct running was creating problems in the previously imperious South defence. Following a Bleach save of one of his shots, he lifted another attempt goalwards, only for Jan Brynjolffssen to knock the chest high ball away and behind. Johnny B soon followed with a goalline clearance of his own, coming off the post to close down and block after the ball had been worked past Bleachy. The home umpire then got in on the act, whistling for a short corner mere nanoseconds before an Ely forward swept a loose ball home.

South were continuing to look dangerous on the counter, mainly through Popey, with one swept shot going just wide after a Benedikz-like break up the touchline by captain for the day, Stuart Creed. However, Ely were the team more likely, and with fifteen minutes left, they struck twice within two minutes to bring the game level. First a short corner was switched back to the right, where a clean shot was put into the corner, and then a fast break from midfield saw the forward get in behind the South defence, from where he placed an excellent reverse stick shot past an exposed keeper.

Further Ely pressure saw a third goalline clearance by South, this time Paul McIlwaine getting his stick up to knock an effort that was top-corner bound over the bar. Despite breaking out to exert some good pressure of our own in the final couple of minutes, the end of the game came as a something of a relief to South, though with our utter dominance of the first half the draw was a fair result.

Also special mentions to Rob Garrett, impressive in the midfield on his return debut following four years at uni, and to Andy Bleach for a number of important saves during the second period.