Cambridge South Fourths, sponsored by PwC, fought hard, but were ultimately beaten by a Bedford side who play in a division equivalent to at least one higher than South.

South weren’t helped by a degree of disruption in their team planning. First issue was a 30 minute wait after the scheduled meet time for the last player to appear. But hey, why should the captain get there for the time he arranged… ;-) It’s quite possible that the delay in James’ arrival was due to an unwanted phone call from the second team up in Kettering; their ‘keeper Jon was meant to be doubling-up between the two matches, but he had got injured playing 2’s and was now unfit, leaving an unsuccessful late search for a replacement. With an outfield player having also dropped out late, the 13 originally selected for the game was now pared to a bare 11, with volunteer/short straw drawer Ian G going between the sticks.

Things didn’t get easier once we arrived at Bedford. Despite setting out from Cambridge a good hour and a half before push-back, come 3pm only 7 players were on the field. Joe, who was travelling up from London, had been caught up in the football traffic around Arsenal’s ground, and James B and the Ali brothers had stopped for petrol (how does that take half-an-hour?!?). Bedford seemed relaxed and getting the match going, their players drifting pitchwards with no great rush, so we could delay until 10 South players were there to start, with Joe running on to the pitch after five minutes.

With all this disruption, it’s little surprise that the South side was disorganised in the opening fifteen minutes, as James had had no chance for a proper teamtalk or to explain to players where they should now play following the loss of two people. Bedford held South in a press, and it need some good ‘keeping by Ian to keep them out. One goal did come as a player was allowed to turn and shoot six yards out. South showed signs of life in attack as they settled down, Joe, James B and James R were combining well, keeping Bedford on their toes, with the team turning around only one in arrears.

The opening stanza of the second period was likely to decide the game, and unfortunately for South their fitness and organisation collapsed. Four goals were added in little more than ten minutes, shots raining on Ian from all angles. Some were soft, like the second were a ball was stolen of a defender in our own 25, worked to an utterly unmarked forward in the circle, who had loads of time to get really close and hammer in. Others were good Bedford play, like the fourth which was a deflection in off the bar from a ball fired in from outside the circle.

Following the collapse, a fightback of sorts. Or at least the remainder of the match saw more determined play, marking in defence, chasing in midfield and some action up front. Some short corners were forced, and the Bedford ‘keeper was giving something to do after an extremely quiet twenty minutes, but no consolation score was forthcoming.

Despite the final score, there were positives to take from the game in the performances of Joe and James B, and the knowledge that Bedford will probably be the strongest side South 4ths are going to face all campaign and we could compete with them for spells.