New Captain, new season. new kit. The former appears to have made a quite remarkable impact.

Consider the following unlikely scenario. The entire team has been out en masse the night before to 's wedding reception. where an appropriate amount of alcohol was consumed. It is now 9.30am on the Sunday morning at Battersea Park - a full hour before kick-off. Not only is the entire Logica team present with kit, but they number thirteen, and is excuse-less and playing. Furthermore, the opposition is also here, and the referee has been rung to double-check his attendance. Even more strangely , the Logica team then get changed, and go out for pre-match warming up exercises. As one former Captain pointed out, it wouldn't have happened in his day.

So would appear to be the inspirational leader that Logica have been searching for. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the photo-opportunity afforded by the first appearance of the new kit, kept under lock and key until this special occasion, despite 's moaning. Captain bas miraculously been able to engender the previously alien concept of 'competition for places'. Even , the previous day's groom, delayed his honeymoon in order to be available for selection.

In a strong and authoritative pre-match team-talk, outlined his style of management. This was to be a meritocracy; anyone playing well would retain their place; past reputations would count for nothing; two substitutes would be picked for each game and club spirit should be such that those on the bench or being substituted would be glad to be so. Furthermore, the ambitious newcomer had desires on the prestigious Premier League Championship trophy in his first season.

After such a talk, the team were fired up from the off. It quickly became obvious that Wilmington were a competent team, as one would expect of last year's Division One East winners, and seemed at home on Astroturf. The early pressure came from the Arms, but Logica's new-look defence stood extremely firm with 's aerial domination a key. The Blue-and-Whites, as so often in the past, were content to soak up pressure and then strike quickly and without mercy on the break. The Wilmington back-four looked shaky, playing a dangerous off-side game which only prospered with the aid of some extremely dodgy refereeing decisions. Some minor verbals were pounced on by referee Gatward, even grumpier than usual, possibly due to his early morning call.

After a good chance was spurned by Wilmington, Logica broke clear to be denied at the expense of a corner. The subtle kit-adjustment ploy paid dividends for the second game running: 's pulling up of a sock preceded the anticipated near post corner which flicked on for newly-wed to bundle over the threshold from close range [1-0].

Logica just about deserved this lead, and continued to work extremely hard in order to preserve it. on his debut looked especially impressive, breaking up Wilmington attacks on a number of occasions to start Logica counter-thrusts with skilful, clever passing. too was reading the game welL and terminated two good Wilmington moves by covering for out-of-position team-mates. had his work cut out against a very tricky winger, but coped admirably without needing to resort to his Aberdeen scything activities. , competitive as ever, made some heart-stopping challenges, and once more stained the Battersea carpet with his blood: this time caused by the fiery left-footer attempting to break 's elbow with his nose.

As half-time approached further chances came. created a chance for himself but shot wide, and then was unlucky not to quite squeeze a through ball to making a run on the blind side. burst through and, from an acute angle, hit a blistering shot which spectacularly managed to hit bar then post but somehow avoid the net.

and continued to release the front men with some accurate passing, and it was the latter's ball over the top which sent away just before the interval. The striker carried the ball forward before showing good vision and unselfishness to cut the ball back for to finish clinically from six yards [2-0]. An excellent move.

Logica reminded each other to stay tight up to the break, but there was nothing that could have prevented Wilmington's first goal. The danger seemed to have passed after a cross was cleared, but a Wilmington midfielder collected the ball, turned sharply and hit an inch-perfect shot over the helpless [2-1]. Further bad luck occurred when a quite dazzling run from left four flailing defenders in the centre-half's wake, and it was only the half-time whistle which stopped a two-goal lead being restored.

The second half followed a well-defined pattern: Wilmington applied enormous pressure throughout, with Logica breaking occasionally and actually creating the better chances. A stern test for the back four, who had some good help from midfield for a change. , in particular, played superbly, chasing back endlessly and also getting forward to put in good crosses.

The best chance was created by who broke free from the Arms defence only for the first of a string of great saves by the opposition keeper to deny him. A second similar chance was more acute, but the same result ensued although a square ball to the either or , both unmarked, must have resulted in a goal.

The immense pressure forced into a substitution. on his debut began to tire, and was replaced by . The pattern remained unaltered, but chances continued to come Logica's way. A header was only just kept out by a combination of keeper and full-back. A good ball to saw the midfielder beat the last defender only to be body-checked in the box before he could lob home. The controversial decision was an indirect free-kick on the edge of the area, which was charged away by the Wilmington wall - a taste of things to come in England's 'Date With Destiny'.

A second substitution saw enter the fray, with moving forward to replace the Caribbean-bound . This positional change, coupled with tiring-legs, somewhat disrupted Logica's organisation and resolve, and the blue-and-whites hung on rather desperately. Wilmington only failed to equalise when a goal-bound header struck one of their own players, and was deflected to safety. One further chance came the home side's way when put clear, but again the keeper saved well with no defender in sight.

Finally, just when Logica began to think they had done enough, tragedy struck. In the 88th minute, Wilmington won a corner which was sent dangerously towards the far-post. appeared to have dealt with the danger, until an illegal push by an attacker put him off-balance. The ball slipped through his hands, and somehow squeezed between two defenders on the line [2-2]. The Logica players were desperately disappointed, but reflection in the comfort of the Latchmere armchairs led to the conclusion that given all the pressure that Wilmington had excerpted, Logica should maybe be happy to get off the mark with a point. All that remained was to peruse the first edition of a very fine publication called 'If Selected...'