Cambridge South M2s’ last game of the season had a lot riding on it: a win would secure the record for the most consecutive wins in the history of the club and keep promotion hopes alive, although a win of epic proportions was needed to make the latter independent of other teams’ performances. More importantly, the game was an opportunity to get good, honest revenge on Boston for inflicting an uncalled-for defeat in the first meeting. Little surprise then, that the team was raring to go and gave skipper Ron Oren a multitude of players to choose from.

Boston, on the other hand, were less bothered - or possibly struggling with traffic - showing up with a mere 4 players at the arranged time for push-back. Eventually, the visitors having found enough for 7 outfielders and a goalie, the game started rather lopsidedly. Which, to common chagrin, only threw South’s composure and organisation, leaving them struggling to make use of the 3 free men they had. In fact, it’s fair to say that Boston had the better part of play, considering their numerical inferiority. Thus, when Boston’s reinforcements arrived, they were hailed with sighs of relief on both sides (albeit silent ones for the home team).

Still, it took South time to settle down to the business of playing hockey. It was only quick thinking Tim Clapp that gave them the lead: a long corner taken before the defence was set allowed him to drive into the D and pass the ball to fellow-striker Rob Barton, only for the latter to find the goalie. Beating everyone else to the rebound, Matt Readman didn’t take any chance and flicked the ball high into the side netting.

If South thought they were now in for a cruising, they were quickly set straight. Boston’s quick forwards made every break out of their defence dangerous and tested ‘keeper Shahbaz’s pads regularly. In one of their attacks, Boston’s striker bypassed sweeper Dave Monck with an ingenious one-two with his own feet. His subsequent pass to the far post was watched by everyone, strikers and defenders, only to trickle over the line unchallenged. Luckily it may have been, but the goal was not against the run of play.

As in previous games, an opposition goal only served to wake up South and moments of good hockey finally started to show. A lovely pass from Matt found the ever energetic Manu Bhardwaj in the right corner; loath to take on his man, Manu simply crossed the ball into the D, where Rob dispatched it coolly to give South the lead again. Mere minutes later, it was Rob again that got his name on the score-board, this time slipping the ball under a charging goalie at close range. With a 2-goal cushion, nerves were finally settling in the home side and they started to press the visitors more. In the dying minutes of the first half, the game was finally put out of Boston’s reach: a hard cross driven in from the right was deflected beautifully through the ‘keepers legs to trickle over the line. The scorer? A rather unfortunate defender... although official credit should go to Bhav Virdi for the cross.

After half-time, South were searching for the form that would let them put further goals past Boston and improve their chances of getting promoted. Boston, however, made good use of the break to finally get their team properly sorted and frustrated South’s efforts at every turn. The home side wasn’t helped either by the epic failure of various South players to provide even half-decent injections at the short corners, neutralising one of their own weapons of attack. As a result, although plenty of chances materialised at either side of the pitch, neither team could convert even a single one of those and the score remained at 4-1 until full-time.

It wasn’t the most polished of performances for South and - to be fair to Boston - the score line is a bit flattering for the home side. But the team did exactly what they had to do: they won the game, secured the club record and kept promotion dependent on P’boro’s result. With the latter obliging and slipping up against relegation-threatened Market Deeping, South’s season was crowned with a promotion to Div 3NW, the highest the team as ever been. With 11 consecutive wins in the season (beating every other team in the second half of the season), nobody can deny they deserved it with their grit and determination.