Logica showed some style and no little patience in finally overcoming St Augustines in the second league game of the season. After some initial frustration at our inability to break down a resolute ten-man Saints team, a shock goal for our opponents served as a much needed wake-up call, and Nigel Hoyland grabbed a vital equaliser before half-time.

As the game continued to remain on level terms, Logica did not panic and continued to play a patient game of passing football. Substitute Craig Taylor finally made the break-through with twenty minutes remaining, and then quickly killed the game with his second goal and Logica’s third. Further goals from Paul Banoub and Dav Gautam made the final score a more accurate reflection of Logica’s domination.

This second consecutive win arguably constitutes Logica FC’s best ever start to a season. Since records began in 1989, Logica have never won their first two matches of the season. Even in the all conquering 1989/90 season when Logica won the West End Second Division title without losing a single league game, they only managed to draw their second fixture that season.

However, as minds begin to wander to unbeaten runs stretching deep into winter, Supremo Groom will be keen to focus his charges on taking each game as it comes. Logica’s next two matches see them take on Archers and Pump House, both of whom boast a 100% record after two matches. There are no easy games at this level, but at least Logica can go into these matches in a confident frame of mind after two comprehensive victories.

Even allowing for our latest opponents playing with a man short, New Logica’s strategy continued to be a revelation. The team are constantly striving to pass the ball on the ground, and with many players making intelligent runs all over the pitch, the man in possession is often spoilt for choice regarding who to pass to. Logica did not panic after going a goal down, nor did they resort to lumping desperate long-balls forward as the game remained at 1-1 until past the seventy-minute mark, and this is a testament to the good habits ingrained during a lengthy series of pre-season training sessions.

The midfield is the outstanding cog in this well-oiled machine. Whilst the defence has stood firm in only conceding one goal, and the attack are playing their part, it is the men in between that have caught the eye. A 4-4-2 certainly seems better suited to the players at Groom’s disposal, and with Gautam and Wood providing a solid fulcrum, Reevaldo, Jon Clarke, and his replacement Craig Taylor have offered a constant and effective threat down the flanks. Of the nine goals scored, six have been scored by this quintet with a seventh credited as an own goal that Reevaldo could legitimately have claimed for himself. Seven goals from midfield in our first two games is a massive bonus.

Continuity must also be playing its part. Groom rewarded those who had carved out Logica’s initial victory by naming an unchanged side. This admirable adherence to the cliché about not changing a winning team meant that Groom could find no place for himself in a squad of fourteen, and was left pacing the touchline in his sheepskin coat. Sutton was rewarded for his patient and regular availability with a place on the bench instead of Denyer, but otherwise it was as you were.

Those currently proud to don the spanking new red and black Logica kit may have sharp feet, but the grey matter is sometimes slow to get working on a Sunday morning. Few realised, until it was pointed out at half time, that our opponents had only ten men, despite the referee confirming the fact with the visiting captain at the kick off. This numeric imbalance had the effect of leaving acres of space for young Reevaldo to roam down the left, but few of the other Logica players noticed this either until late in the first half, by which time the Hackney holester was almost hoarse trying to attract the attention of his colleagues in possession.

Logica began well and were soon pummelling the Augustine goal. Phill Hatton, also finding plenty of space in the right-back berth, fired in two long-range efforts which were not too far away. Abbott failed to get proper contact from Hoyland’s cross and Richmond fizzed in a blistering shot which was inches wide of cross-bar and post. However, as the game progressed Logica tended to waste the final pass in good positions, and consequently clear-cut chances were rare.

The alarm call came in the form of a Saints goal in only their second attack of the game. Gautam lost possession and the opposition broke quickly against an exposed defence. The Augustines forward was played in with a clear run on goal, and he coolly rounded keeper Fleming, and slotted home from a tight angle (0-1).

Jon Clarke could not recover from a knee problem picked up early in the first half, and had to give way to Craig Taylor. But the Leeds man quickly slotted in and the game continued with Logica dominant. Taylor was played clear down the right by the impressive Tim Wood but opted to shoot when perhaps a cross might have been better appreciated by well placed colleagues. Moves continued to break down in the final third, either due to a packed Saints rearguard, or more frequently due to a sloppy final pass. But as half time approached the vital equaliser came. Reevaldo fed Paul Mainwaring from a quick throw-in, and the left-back did superbly to beat his man and dribble along the bye-line. Keeping his head he picked out Nigel Hoyland in the six yard box, and the striker dispatched the chance with clinical efficiency from close range (1-1).

In the second half Logica’s play was more effective as the passes became more accurate. Mainwaring and Reevaldo on the left, and Phill Hatton and Taylor on the right, were regularly combining, and Wood and Gautam were always available in the middle. Chances came and went, but everyone seemed to fluff their shot just as the trigger needed to be pulled. Just when the players might have started to think that it was going to be one of those days, the break-through came. It was Wood, again marauding through the middle who did the damage. Banoub (on for Hoyland) made a great run to take a defender away, and Wood was able to feed Craig Taylor making a blind-side run from right to left. Taylor took the ball on into the penalty area and very neatly flicked it over the advancing keeper and into the net (2-1).

Suddenly the heavens opened, and the rain lashed down, but Banoub was prominent again as Logica quickly exploited the initiative gained over a side who up to this point had defended with great spirit. Latching on to a loose ball he volleyed a great pass to set Abbott free in the left channel. The striker bore down on goal before squaring an unselfish pass to the unmarked Taylor, who once more finished clinically from ten yards out (3-1).

The relief was almost tangible, and Logica began to turn it on. Wood again drove forward from midfield and slipped a neat pass to Paul Banoub. The Teessider did not mess about, and fired a superb low-shot from the edge of the box into the bottom corner with such pace that the keeper hardly moved (4-1). The party tricks were coming out now, and Taylor did his Ian Harte impression with a free-kick from fully fifty yards that the keeper had to tip over the bar (although the Yorkshireman claimed modestly after the match "that free kick was a cross and not a shot!").

Taylor was again alert from a quick throw-in to pick out Abbott. The striker responded with a noncey back-heel flick that was completely unnecessary, although it did have the effect of leaving Dav Gautam in the clear with just the keeper to beat. The Captain did not err, and his hard shot from twelve yards made the score 5-1 to Logica. Damien Sutton had replaced the tiring Reevaldo by this time, and the substitute’s pace got him into a great position but he fired wide. Banoub had the final chance when he was inches away from heading home a cross that was the climax of a jinking Jeff Hatton run.

Despite the numerical advantage, Groom could be more than happy surveying his team for the first time. A dominant defence, an electric midfield, plus goals from strikers Hoyland and Banoub. His only concern will be the absence of any goals so far this season from Mark Abbott, but one starring midfielder had a few words of consolation for the ageing striker at the post-match press conference. "There was some great unselfish play on behalf of all the strikers that played today. Most of the goals wouldn't have been possible without it. In particular, Paul Banoub's off the ball running was instrumental in drawing out the defence for my first goal. Very intelligent play." Just in case, Abbott slipped plenty of snouts in Groom’s direction during a celebratory post-match pint in The Beverley.