Cambridge South 1st XI travelled to Rutland and served up a nail-biting match which had the spectators on the edge of their seats up to the final whistle. Not about the result of the match however, as that was never really in doubt once the Home team only turned up with 10 men, but about the Lemon of the Match award which was closely balanced all the way through the game.

Nick Bristowe made an early play for the title with a shocking performance in the toilets before the game which rendered them unfit for use but his efforts were put to shame on the pitch by John Hawkes who did his best to help Rutland out by seemingly playing as an extra man in their defence and making a number of fantastic clearances when it would have been easier to have put the ball in the goal. Not content with this profligacy in front of goal, Hawkes also got a yellow card for not retreating 5 metres at a free hit, only 30 seconds after the team had been warned of this infringement by the umpire. So, at half time, Hawkes sat down confident that the coveted Lemon would be his but he had not counted for Dave Aston stepping in at the last moment to take the award, more of which later.

In amongst this move and countermove there was also some excellent hockey play. With a one man advantage there was always going to be room to move the ball about and South kept Rutland on the back foot throughout most of the match. Strong play from Rob Garrett and Al Sinclair in midfield, together with the usual pace and skill up the right from Eliot Read and Russell Johnson led to a number of chances early in the first half. However most of these fell to Hawkes who (see above) had his eye on the main prize so it was not until the 20 minute mark that South got the breakthrough when Garrett drove into the D and played the ball past the keeper to Hawkes who saw his clearance saved on the line by a defensive foot. Jack Chalk stepped up to take the resulting penalty stroke and dispatched it confidently past the keeper’s outstretched left hand.

A few minutes later South doubled their lead when Garrett picked up a superb pass from James Cobbe and played the ball in to Chalk who took a snap shot and then buried the resulting rebound into the roof of the net for his second goal of the game.

Rutland, despite being a man short, did not let their heads drop and kept playing a high tempo game. Most of their efforts were snuffed out with strong tacking in midfield - in particular Sinclair and Garrett proving to be impassable - but towards halftime the home team won a short corner and pressed for a goal to keep the game alive. The first effort was charged down by George Wych but the next one was well worked and gave a gilt-edged chance to the young Rutland forward who, with the South defence stranded, contrived to miss an open goal from 3 feet out.

This provided a timely reminder to South that the game was not yet won and after half time there was more urgency in the play. Moving up the left Cobbe and Aston linked together and the resulting ball into the D won another short corner. A direct shot on goal then rebounded kindly to Sinclair who calmly lifted it past the despairing defence. Not long after this the game was put to bed by Johnson who, receiving the ball just in front of the keeper, lifted it over his pads to make it 4-0.

With the match won there was still time for the final act in the Lemon competition. Some say he is just being competitive, others cower in fear at his outbursts. In the last few minutes Dave Aston, whose temper is never far below boiling point saw a red mist come over him and launched a potty mouthed outburst at a fellow teammate who failed to pass the ball to him, thus earning South’s second yellow card of the game. Whilst Aston took the walk of shame to the side of the pitch, Hawkes was seen celebrating an unlikely escape from the Lemon!

Despite the two yellows (and another one for Rutland) the game was played in a very good spirit. South played well but credit also goes to the home side for keeping it competitive despite only have 10 players. South now have 10 points from a possible 12 and hope to continue this good start with the match next week against March.