It had been raining all week. The pitch was a quagmire, barely a blade of grass to be seen as ankle-deep mud proliferated. The wind howled and swirled in mischievous fashion, the biting arctic cold piercing the players' cheap acrylic jerseys. It was the perfect setting for the gritty little Cup underdogs from Logica, who liked nothing better than to roll up their sleeves and get stuck into some higher league Goliath. These simple lads believed that sweat, determination and good old fashioned hard graft were the way to play the game. And if that wasn't enough, well fair enough, we'll doff our caps to the opposition, say 'well played', and look forward to next week's game.

In this match against Red Star Athletic in the first round of the Gladys Perry Challenge Cup, it was enough. From the moment our Senior Amateur Reserve Division opposition shambled into the dressing room in dribs and drabs to be faced by a cheery Logica squad in their impressive new yellow-and-green strips, the psychological battle was half won. When the Red Star players reluctantly shuffled out of the dressing room into the bitter winter chill to find the Logica squad going through their well-honed warm-up routine, Logica's name was nearly as good as in the hat for the second round draw.

This smooth professional veneer was only slightly blemished by young Damian Sutton, who turned up without the requisite pair of football boots wrapped in a brown paper bag. The young Pup also failed to supply a note from his mother, and was duly sent home by the no-nonsense Supremo to fetch this fairly important piece of footballing equipment. Although he missed the kick off, Logica still had Groom on the bench, and Logica at least started with eleven unlike our opponents, who played for a few minutes with just ten men as a couple of their players apparently failed to note the earlier kick-off time.

It was Dave Richmond who, somewhat surprisingly after all these years, finally revealed himself as a bit of a tactical wizard. For it was Skippy's idea to play just three at the back (himself, Hatton Minor and Mainwaring), four in the midfield, and Abbott in the hole behind Banoub and Hoyland. Whilst this formation did have the downside that Reevaldo sulked for the first ten minutes out on the left touchline ("I want to play in the hole, I want to play in the hole!" stamped the Hackney Houdini before holding his breath in the hope that the Supremo would change his mind), the tactics proved to be spot on. The three man defence was magnificent, completely unrecognisable from the four-man equivalent of the previous week, and Abbott was able to find plenty of space in his hole, especially in the second half, and thoroughly enjoyed himself splashing about in the mud.

Hoyland had already had one close-range effort brilliantly blocked by the Red Star keeper before Logica took a lead that fairly reflected their early dominance. Dav Gautam took over the corner-taking responsibilities and immediately reproduced one straight from the training ground. Giving the pre-arranged signal, Gautam arrowed the dead-ball kick dangerously into the near post. Abbott just failed to get a touch, but the ball zipped through to Reevaldo, lurking with intent in the six yard box. His first touch killed the cross in an instant, his second poked it across the goal-line between keeper and defender (1-0).

Logica were not flowing, but still using the wind to good advantage. Taylor and Reevaldo were threatening sporadically, and Abbott was finding good possession on occasions. In fact, Logica could have been further ahead had Abbott managed to correctly weight a number of through balls aimed into Hoyland's path. Gautam also came close with a long range effort that was no more than a foot wide. A goal should have resulted from Logica's best move of the half. Abbott let a pass from Reevaldo run through his legs to Taylor, and then ran on to receive a return pass from the Leeds man. The novice hole-merchant whipped in a low cross from the left that Banoub and Hoyland were both just inches away from converting.

Red Star had a mass of supporters on the touch-line but this was not necessarily to their advantage, as the visiting team were getting a fair amount of stick from the terraces. Tim Wood was also unfortunate to completely scuff a free kick just in front of this vociferous section of the crowd, but could only laugh himself as his dead-ball effort trickled forward just a couple of yards somewhat forlornly. With just minutes to go to the break, the away end had something to cheer as Red Star equalised. Their left-winger advanced and sent over a dangerous cross, and as Richmond and the centre-forward lunged at the ball, it deflected off the Logica man past a helpless Fleming in goal (1-1). But Logica showed their mettle, and reacted positively to this set-back by going straight up the other end and regaining their lead. It was courtesy of another dangerous Gautam corner. This time Abbott did manage a flick on at the near post, and Paul Banoub anticipated well to divert the ball home from close range (2-1).

Memories of the previous week's capitulation against Arab Boys were well and truly erased by a brilliant second half performance playing into the wind. Logica's positive formation was vindicated when they extended their lead soon after the interval. A studious build-up involving Taylor, Abbott and Wood found Hoyland laying off a perfect pass to Gautam on the edge of the box. The Logica captain still had plenty to do, but unleashed a vicious shot past a flailing keeper that had the net bulging (3-1).

Logica's knew their character would be tested when Red Star pulled a goal back fifteen minutes later. A good through ball had the Logica defence stretched for once, but as their striker shaped to shoot, a perfectly timed sliding tackle from Phill Hatton appeared to have averted the danger. Both players ended up on the ground, but the Red Star man was quick to react, flicking the ball goalwards from a prostrate position which a colleague turned past Fleming (3-2).

The underdogs were under the cosh now, but the Logica rearguard rose to the challenge. Supported ably by Gautam, Wood and Reevaldo in particular, the back three produced a magnificent display of controlled defending. Sticking to their men they refused to lunge in, and many a promising Red Star move was forced backwards when they could find no way through the yellow line. Mainwaring and Hatton Minor executed some fine tackles when the need arose, and Richmond was imperious.

Even when Red Star did create an opening, a flying body was there to save the day. Gautam and Richmond both made vital blocks to goalbound shots, and later Sutton showed magnificent defensive awareness to get his tackle in as a Red Star forward tried to volley home a cross. Scott Fleming continued his convincing impression of a talented goalkeeper, with one breath-taking save with his feet denying a certain goal. His handling was faultless in such difficult conditions, best exemplified when he came to claim a swirling cross at full stretch.

But Logica knew, even in Jez Brown's absence, that the best form of defence is attack, and they continued to take the game to Red Star on the break, and indeed created enough chances to have doubled their tally. Hoyland was a foot wide with a low shot after Banoub had played an Abbott pass into his path, leaving him with only the keeper to beat. With Abbott getting the measure of his hole, Logica broke effectively many times only to fail to find the final pass, frequently with men to spare. However, Hoyland's persistence eventually paid dividends. Banoub headed on a long ball, but as the ball fell to a defender, the Yorkshireman refused to give up the chase. He was rewarded with a weak back pass that he latched onto in a flash. Hoyland coolly rounded the keeper, before keeping his head to slot home as a defender lunged unsuccessfully to keep the ball out (4-2).

Logica could have had more. Some Abbott trickery yielded a cross to the far post that had two efforts blocked, and another cross from the right found an acrobatic overhead kick from Taylor being cleared off the line. As the final whistle went, the Second Division side could be justifiably proud of a deserved victory against opponents from two divisions higher. The Giantkillers will now have to wait anxiously until Monday's draw to find out who they play in the next round, but moves are already afoot to wheel out the lucky yellow kit again for that second round tie on December 10th.