Whilst Logica had eschewed all forms of pre-season preparation in true Corinthian fashion (even stopping their weekly 5-asides one month prior to the start of the new season in case this should give them any unfair advantage), their opponents had been indulging in a vast array of underhand warm-up activities. Not only had they begun their Division Two fixtures the previous Sunday (thus already boasting 90 competitive minutes under their somewhat looser belts), but they had also arranged no less then four pre-season friendlies to fine-tune tactics, fitness and general collective understanding. This was the type of scurrilous outfit who would doubtless resort to training if they thought it would help them win.

Thus it was somewhat contrary to the pre-match predictions of most pundits when Logica began as the stronger and more cohesive side. and led the way, closing down anything that moved in the middle of the park, and prompting attacks with some considered distribution. The back four were more than happy to follow suit, whilst and up front were showing good movement that offered options.

The best move of the early period started at the back. collected the ball in the right-back slot and picked out a perfect pass to who had drifted out right. The experienced striker stepped inside his man before feeding a galloping who had made a fine overlapping run. won a corner, and the first of many dangerous dead-balls was fired in by . The Olympian keeper came and flapped air, and it was who rose with salmonesque grace only to see his thumping header cannon back off the cross-bar.

However, as you probably well know, it is traditional in Logica footballing circles to concede the first goal after such a promising start. The build-up was innocuous: a short-throw just past half-way, a gentle ball rolled into their striker's feet just outside the box. had the danger covered it seemed. The Olympian was going nowhere, but turning to face his marker, he shovelled a hopeful shot goalwards. Whether it took a deflection was not clear, but somehow the ball looped up and over the despairing dive of in goal, before dipping agonisingly just under the bar [0-1]

Curiously against taller opponents (and not exactly renowned for their high-ball game), Logica posed a consistent aerial threat all morning. Stranger still, it was who was revelling in the role of a big Hartsoneque number nine, getting his head on a succession of goal-kicks and long hoofs to flick on dangerously. But it was 's dead-ball expertise that provided the lethal ingredient to this unlikely mix. The Leeds midfielder was clearly back to full fitness after an injury-ravaged campaign last time out, and was fully enjoying himself in the blistering heat.

He set his stall out early doors with a viciously dipping, 25-yard free-kick that appeared to be destined for the top corner. Somehow though, the Olympian goalminder managed to leap high to his left, and the merest finger-tipped contact was enough to foil . The same player was also delivering a succession of wicked corners that had the home team in knots, and angled a header just wide from one such delivery. For variety, a near post corner picked out , whose customary elaborate dummy saw the ball bounce back off the post. Frustrated at his colleagues' inability to convert, decided enough was enough, and the next corner he arced directly into the top corner at the far post [1-1]. Based on what had gone before, this was no fluke.

Logica were level and their tails were up. The Olympia defence was playing an aggressive offside trap high up the field, and one free-kick cleverly played in who had timed his run perfectly from deep, but the effort was blocked.

is still able to use his head if not his legs, and called his opponents bluff as prepared to take a Logica goal-kick. With the Olympians back-line pressed up on half-way, Abbott positioned himself boldly 20 yards into his opponents half. "He'll be offside," asserted the young Olympian pups. The wily Lag was well aware that you cannot be offside from a goal-kick, and took a chance on the Italian clearing half-way. obliged with a long clearance that was too high for a defender on half way who could only glance the ball backwards. The ball skimmed through to , now well in the clear. The forward trundled off and duly tucked the ball into the net, only to find that the referee had given an offside decision. The man in black's logic was baffling, and he even had the cheek to accuse the Logica players of not knowing the rules. This hack, for one, would eat his hat if any knowledgeable Mandarin was able to identify the relevant paragraph and sub-section of the Association Football Law Book that justified this decision.

Just to rub salt into the wound, Olympia promptly regained the lead. gallantly chased down a ball that was heading out for a corner by the corner flag, and launched a low clearance that travelled some 40 yards or so. Unfortunately his team-mates weren't really paying attention, and the Olympian left-midfielder collected the loose ball, and brilliantly fired the ball straight into the far corner of the net with the Logica keeper nowhere near recovering his ground [1-2]. This was rough justice on , who minutes earlier had pulled off a breath-taking save, diving full-length to repel a low shot after an Olympian was clear through on goal.

A similar exchange followed. 's low pass somehow evaded the foot of the last defender, and rolled through to . The striker advanced to the edge of the box, and after his traditional cut-back inside the last defender failed, he twisted the other way before squaring to who had burned into the box in support. Unfortunately the ball was a tad too far behind the midfielder and a hastily readjusted trigger saw the shot fly high.

Olympia were straight back up the other end to add a third. indulged in some ill-advised back-heel noncery that lost the ball. Olympia were away down the right, and a looping, hanging cross to the back stick was somehow headed back past both the leaping and and just inside the other post [1-3].

Logica buoyed each other up at the interval striving to translate their misfortune into positive energy, and they began the second half as they had the first, pressing the home side back. However, after had seen a blistering 20-yard strike fizz just the wrong side of the post with the keeper rooted to the spot, chances were few and far between. The heat and lack of match fitness began to take its toll, and despite deploying six fresh legs, the game was played increasingly in the visitors' half.

was called upon to make a couple of sharp saves, whilst the home side also wasted a couple of chances by firing high. Logica still posed the occasional menace, and the Olympian glove-merchant pulled off a spectacular double-save, first blocking a effort, before brilliantly deflecting blistering follow-up.

It was not until the last ten minutes that Logica again displayed the requisite urgency, and it was the substitute who led the final charge. He had already caused some havoc down the right flank, when ballooned a clearance in his direction. Showing power, speed and no little skill, he forced, then danced, his way past three consecutive defenders. As he strode into the box, he briefly considered squaring to , before wisely deciding that the best option was to rifle the ball home with the outside of his right-foot into the far corner [2-3].

A brilliant individual goal, but sadly the collective did not quite have it within themselves to rustle up the third goal from somewhere that would have secured a point. And whilst the post-match analysis revolved around the undeniable short-fall in competitive sharpness in their first match since Rome, Logica may well come to rue three dropped points against opponents who one suspects will be mid-table at best.