Logica dabbled in the magic of the Cup on Sunday as they won an exhilarating first round tie against the run-away Division One leaders, Queen Vic FC of Tooting. After the heroic underdogs raced to a 4-1 lead early in the second half, there were a few chewed finger-nails in the away-section of the crowd as the home side fought back to 4-3. But Second Division Logica held on gallantly to cause a big upset and rekindle the romance of the Gladys Perry Challenge Cup.

It was a remarkable result for a side who have only won through to the second round of the Cup on one occasion in their six seasons in this league, and that by virtue of a penalty shoot-out. Queen Vic FC came into the match in an impressive run of form. Their five league games so far this term have yielded four wins and one draw, an unbeaten record that sees them six points clear at the top of the division above Logica's.

It was thus perhaps not surprising that the unfancied minnows began a little nervously. A rushed start by a referee keen to impress some prowling League mandarins found some Logica players not quite sure what position they were supposed to be playing in. Within ten minutes however, the visitors had sorted themselves out, and a few tentative forays forward quickly convinced them that their opponents were not quite as invincible as their league record suggested.

With Hoyland, Gallagher and Wood harassing their opposing midfielders at every turn, the home favourites soon began to make mistakes. Abbott should have been the first to benefit as he latched onto a loose back-pass and rounded the keeper with some ease. But his personal finishing nightmare continued as he somehow contrived to roll the ball into the side-netting with the gaping goal at his mercy.

The referee was keen to stamp his mark of incompetence on the match at the earliest opportunity. He first awarded a throw-in to the Queen Vic when the ball was still ten yards inside the touch-line. And shortly afterwards, after Logica had worked a short corner and the ball had been returned to Abbott out wide, he was quick to blow up for offside. It was quickly pointed out to the man in black that there were still two home defenders standing on each post, whereupon he put his head in his hands and invited the earth to swallow him whole, John Cleese style.

With the Logica defence holding firm, pressure applied all over the field continued to force the Division One side into mistakes. A goal seemed inevitable and duly arrived. Abbott again latched onto a mis-controlled back pass and was clean through on goal. With just the keeper to beat he unselfishly played a deft wall-pass to his strike partner Spence via the inside of the post. Spence kept his cool, and picked his spot for a precise side-foot finish past two men on the line [1-0]. Within minutes the lead had been doubled. Jez Brown was once again excelling in the left wing-back role, and now he got forward to win possession. His pass forwards was left by Abbott and Spence latched on to it in a flash, outpaced his marker and clipped a clinical shot into the top corner of the net with the keeper helpless [2-0].

Queen Vic were stunned by the bite of the underdog, but worse quickly befell them. A weak goal-kick was directed straight at the loitering Abbott. Controlling the ball on his chest, and without a defender in sight, the goal-shy striker advanced purposefully and for a change made no mistake in dispatching the chance [3-0]. Shortly afterwards, Abbott continued his somewhat poor imitation of Michael Owen by pulling his hamstring, and was swiftly replaced by Reeves.

Mindful of last season's tragic first round Cup exit, when a 3-0 half time lead finally ended as a 7-4 defeat in extra time, Logica were keen not to make the same mistake again. To this end they contrived to concede a goal just before the break, slack marking allowing an opposing forward to convert a corner from close range [3-1]. Such a ploy would surely be the best way to avoid second half complacency? Fleming in goal was not so sure, and produced a brilliant reflex save to tip over a blistering shot shortly afterwards.

Playing against the wind, Logica started the second half with continued determination. Sidaway had replaced the impressive Gallagher, the latter having run himself into the ground during a quality first half display. Logica won a free kick in their own half, and Sidaway's vast experience was quick to spot Spence heading channel-wards. A quickly taken kick caught Vic flat footed, Spence ran onto the pass and advanced to the bye-line from where he crossed low. Rampaging left-back Jez Brown was the only Logica player in the box, but he showed great anticipation to get on the end of the cross before defender or keeper, and even greater skill to turn home a waist-high ball on the volley [4-1].

Finally Queen Vic were spurred into action. As Logica began to tire, the home side began to see more and more possession. Skippy and the Hattons stood firm at the back, however, with a succession of vital interceptions, tackles and headed clearances. But a decisive break down the left finally unlocked the secure back line. The Vic player advanced deep into the penalty area, before cutting back superbly to a colleague who was left with a simple chance to tap home [4-2].

Logica brought on Banoub instead of Spence, but the game was now being played in the away side's half. At a critical time in the game, Logica showed some signs of panic, with hasty clearances merely leading to another Queen Vic onslaught. A third goal arrived as another left-wing cross was turned home emphatically [4-3]. Fleming then came to the rescue, as he made another brilliant tip-over when a powerful shot seemed destined to be the equaliser. From the corner, Vic had the ball in the net as their striker turned a downward header into the net from a yard out, but the goal was rightly ruled out as the scorer was clearly offside.

Things had started to get a bit heated after Vic's second goal. Fleming, collecting the ball disconsolately from the net, was jumped upon by two impatient opponents and a sixty second maul ensued. The referee claimed not to have seen this incident, and incredibly gave Fleming a stern lecture about time-wasting.. After the disallowed goal, Burdett turned up the heat to boiling point as he lumped the Queen Vic left-winger into touch with the ball in not particularly close proximity. He was booked for this rare "mis-timed tackle", but not before a home substitute had given him a kick whilst he lay on the ground and trod on his hand.

It took a few cool heads to calm things down and get Logica back on track. Sidaway provided a solid anchor in front of the back four, and his midfield partner Wood wrested some initiative back with his willingness to hold onto the ball and wait for the right pass. And Reeves complemented this more mature approach with some intelligent running. Reeves had already come close to piercing the Vic back-line on two occasions when he set off on another mazey dribble. Darting past a first defender and then bamboozling a second, he coolly rounded a flailing keeper. From the bye-line the angle was acute, but help was at hand and once again it was the marauding Brown who had got forward to support the attack. Reevaldo unselfishly squared to the on-rushing left-back, but somehow from no more than a yard out, Brown contrived to spoon the ball over the bar for a miss that would have embarrassed even Abbott. Clearly Brown has done something to upset the Bobble Gods.

A fifth goal then would have clinched the tie, but Logica held on for a further ten minutes to complete a famous 4-3 victory. Vic created one more good opportunity, when their striker was played clear in on goal, but Fleming was once again equal to the task. The number one Supremo advanced quickly to block with his feet, and was then up sharply to catch the follow-up shot.

And this is the real magic of the Cup, which throws up such unlikely heroes as the minnows cause an upset against the big boys. Whilst the traditional underdog part time players are cast from the likes of plumbers, factory-workers and bank-clerks, the Logica giantkillers boasted an unhealthy concentration of software consultants in their ranks, although in Sidaway they could at least claim an ex-Postman. Heroes Fleming and Spence were carried shoulder-high from the field by an ecstatic travelling support, but both will be back at their desks on Monday morning eagerly awaiting the draw for the second round.