The conditions for this re-scheduled game couldn't have been much more of a contrast to the original fixture a mere three weeks earlier. Blue skies and double digit temperatures greeted the visiting M5s team at the rather confusingly named Bishop's Stopford School.

This was never going to be an easy fixture on an unfamiliar pitch and against a team firmly occupying the top spot in Div 6 NW(S) with only one defeat so far this season.

Nevertheless, the away team got off to a characteristically strong start, neutralising several penetrating incursions from a well-disciplined Kettering attack, whilst launching several sorties of our own into the opposition twenty-three. Despite the presence of defensive heavyweights Alan 'Rock' Radford and JJ, the away team were able to able to break through the South back four on several occasions only to be thwarted by some super-human keeping from Michael G. One such attack resulted in a shot towards the top corner being skillfully deflected by JJ…alas, into the South net.

Unbowed, the South defence of JJ, Rock, David B, James H and Shahzad continued to repel everything the home team could throw at us, with MoM Michael G continuing to make many seemingly impossible saves including one reminiscent of a Hugo Loris punch…anyone would have thought he was a football keeper! Eventually however, the visitors succumbed to the pressure, conceding a second goal. Yet with the unwavering tenacity shown in so many games this season, South fought back securing a first half consolation from a neatly executed short corner, culminating in a perfectly dispatched 'JJ drag-flick'.

In the second half the considerable gap in experience and fitness between the two teams started to show with South conceding a further three goals, all but one from open play. Yet over the seventy minutes, the South team defended probably fifteen to twenty short corners (the most I've ever seen in a match!), with only one being converted. This undoubtedly kept the opposition score in single figures and is testament to the skill and tenacity of the South defence and keeper.

MoM was a close contest between Michael G and the 'Rock' with the former taking it for some truly spectacular saves!

LoM went to back-in-form lemon maestro, Andy T, for making pushback with seconds to spare and completely failing to find the match teas venue!