With Blundell Park mysteriously closed, the game was moved to Hamilton, which was in surprisingly decent condition. Stingers were apparently playing their first game of 2008, in contrast to the Richmond Pioneers who may well be the only team to play all five of their games to date in '08. Not surprisingly, the Stingers looked a little out of shape, and the Pioneers took full advantage to record an easy 5-1 victory.

It took only 10 minutes for the Pioneers to get on the scoreboard, when Danny Lazar was nicely set-up by Evgeni Kushnir, the visitors appeals for offside completely unfounded. The Pioneers increased their lead with another Lazar/Kushnir combination, this time Lazar setting up Kushnir who went around the keeper and side footed the ball home.

Stingers attempts on goal were restricted to long range efforts, which stand-in keeper Ken Swanston picked off with embarrasing ease, the visitors slow to pick up on the fact the big man has the wingspan of a 747.

Just before half time, Pioneers went further ahead when a Jim Langland's pass sent Kushnir through on the left wing. Kushnir's pinpoint cross was headed home by Graham Mason from close range to give the home team a 3-0 lead at the break.

Early in second half Stingers scored when Swanston made his only mistake of the game as he let the Stinger forward sneak in and get a foot in, a high one at that, to the ball.

History recalls many a second half comeback from Stingers, but today was not to be one of them. The killer goal came when a Tony McBride pass split the Stinger defence and Danny Lazar blasted the ball past the keeper for his second of the game, and it was 4-1 Pioneers. Lacking any natural strikers, the Stingers never looked like mounting any serious threat after that, in part because Ken Johnston was superbly marshalling the Pioneer defence in his role as stand-in sweeper, his ball distribution outstanding.

Not to be outdone by Lazar's super strike for the fourth goal, the Pioneer's fifth was even better, as Jim Langlands unleashed a brilliant left footed half-volley from 25 yards out that flew into the top corner.

Langlands looked odds on to score another after Ken Kan unselfishly laid the ball back in his path, but his powerful shot from 12 yards out was somehow deflected inches over the bar by the head of a very brave—or foolhardy—defender.

With Stingers visibly wilting in the latter stages of the game, the Pioneers remained focused and in full control as they knocked the ball around nicely. The final whistle blew to cap a fine team performance.