After much debate in the build-up to this big match about Logica’s strangely ineffectual performance the previous week against Red Star, it was very much a case of a good point, well made, against the title favourites. The home side lived up to their billing: a powerful Supercala outfit were easily the best team Logica had faced in Division Two this season. But 's men once more turned in a battling performance that grew in both confidence and competence as the game progressed, and a well-orchestrated rearguard ultimately held firm for a hard-earned point.

The early stages did not hint at such a satisfactory outcome. The previous week’s rustiness was still apparent and the Logica players looked collectively lethargic in the first twenty minutes. Supercala kept it simple, with plenty of space to play simple, quick passes to release their forwards and stretch the rossoneri defence. The home team were also prone to pinging long balls from the back into the channels which continually seemed to take Logica by surprise.

That Logica maintained parity during this period was down in no small part to their keeper. With both first choice number ones unavailable, it was once again who strode boldly into the breach. As in two brief, emergency, glove-wearing stints earlier this campaign, the Italian’s commanding presence and safe hands throughout the match inspired those in front of him. strode fearlessly off his line to claim crosses under pressure, and also patrolled the edge of his box with intent. But again it was his faultless handling which caught the eye. Every shot or long ball was firmly clasped, and the Supercala forwards did not get a sniff of a loose ball to feed on.

As the match trotted into the second quarter, Logica began to find their rhythm. Perhaps it had needed some time for a changed line-up to gel. With absent, had retreated to central midfield enabling to start up front. had also sacrificed his own place in the starting line-up for the in-form , perhaps taking into account the extra hour’s drinking that the end of British Summer Time had afforded him.

But just as they were getting into the match, Logica, and more specifically , received a big blow. A severe bang on the head left the young forward somewhat concussed and with impaired vision. Despite staggering back into the fray after treatment, an inability to see seemed a bit too much of a handicap, and it was not long before was given an early opportunity to make his second appearance in Logica colours.

Despite the general improvement, it was still somewhat against the run of play when Logica scored with virtually their first attack of the game. The first move of any note saw the visitors string half a dozen passes together as , , and combined slickly down the right. The resultant throw-in deep in enemy territory was hooked clear, but the ever alert was quick to collect the loose ball. It took just two purposeful strides and a commanding shout of "Shoot!" from , before the Logica defender let fly with a blistering drive from fully 25 yards. Even a slight deflection failed to take the full sting out of the shot, and although the Cala keeper got his finger-tips to the ball, he could not stop it zipping into the top left-hand corner [1-0].

The goal inspired Logica to their most threatening spell of the match, and it was only a good save from their keeper and some well dubious offside decisions that prevented the visitors doubling their advantage. was dropping back to find the space to turn creator. His flicked header had already nearly played in when, minutes later, the same combination created a gilt-edged chance. cushioned a flick perfectly into the path of his strike partner, who burst away from the attempted challenge of the last defender. Steadying himself as he galloped into the box, uncharacteristically went for placement but the Cala keeper spread himself bravely to block with his knee.

The striker returned the favour shortly afterwards, when some painful ball control did not stop him playing a neat pass into the path of an run. But a belated flag convinced the referee to blow for offside even though a defender was running neck and neck with the Logica forward. More contentious offside decisions followed, most notably when turned and slipped a neat reverse pass to who actually had a defender standing behind him!

But as half time approached more disaster struck for Logica, as attempted an elaborate leap with triple pike to win an aerial duel. But the Logica midfielder, having by far his best game of the season so far, missed both ball and opponent and landed awkwardly on his ankle. He hobbled on to the interval but Logica were effectively down to ten men.

Supercala had reasserted some of their earlier threat, and had carved out a few half chances that had not overly troubled . But then some calamitous defending allowed the home side an equaliser. Not for the first time, Logica struggled to clear a ball from their own box, but having finally managed this simple task, they compounded their vulnerability with a half-arsed offside trap. With some defenders pushing out and others not, the ball was chipped forward to one unmarked Cala forward, and then on to another, who had little difficulty firing past the exposed from ten yards [1-1].

The damage could have been worse but for the impressive , who nimbly blocked a close-range header on the line with a dexterous jolt of the belly following a Supercala corner. Half time found a queue of nobbled Logicians doing a passable impression of a doctor’s waiting room. could definitely not continue, and made way for young debutante , but , and were issued with a metaphorical aspirin and coaxed into soldiering on.

had impressed in training, not least for the exceptional 100 mile round trip from his abode in Southend, and looked a pacey attacking wide-man with a snappy shot. As a graduate placement student, he is possibly the youngest ever player in Logica history, and a couple of runs caused problems, notably when he was hauled to the ground after taking on a couple of Super men. But as he adjusted to the pace of the Sportsman League Division Two, Logica increasingly withdrew to a more entrenched defensive position, and the chances for to display his threat diminished.

Although they spent much of the second half fighting a rearguard action, Logica did it with increasing aplomb. was masterful, as he intercepted, tackled and headed everything that was thrown at him. One tackle remiscent of Bobby Moore against Brazil in 1970 exemplified his cool authority, as he jockeyed a Supercala player running at pace for 20 yards, before picking exactly the right moment to nip in and come away with the ball. was ably abetted by his central defensive partner , whose reading of the game was excellent, and who consistently won difficult headers from a continual bombardment of long Supercala throw-ins.

was once again brilliant as practically nothing got past him, and he even got forward to show off some pin-point passing. With the injured battling on bravely at left-back, and and tracking back regularly to provide solid cover, was not extended too regularly. The Logica keeper did need to be extremely alert to advance quickly and block at the feet of an attacker trying to pounce on a threaded pass, but apart from some regular cross-catching activities, his involvement was otherwise limited to a few long-range speculative shots.

Inevitably this well-orchestrated defensive blanket tended to limit Logica’s attacking threat as well as their opponents. perhaps proved the biggest headache to the Supercala defenders as his orbital goal-kicks pounded the increasingly sore Cala crania. Logica occasionally broke with menace, but the final pass was all too often misplaced. It was not until the final minute that Logica again troubled the home keeper, a long-range effort forcing the Cala keeper into a nervous flap that suggested Logica should have tried their luck more often.

entered the fray just in time to angle a vital defensive header just wide of ’s far post, but Logica were even more fortunate not to concede a decisive second with just two minutes remaining. A cleared corner was fed back wide and a cross was whipped in first-time that for once in this second half caught Logica’s back-line flat-footed. A Supercala forward was left completely unmarked eight yards out, but luckily he elegantly side-footed wide.

Whilst Supercala had clearly played the majority of the attacking football, a winner in this fashion would have been cruel on Logica whose organised resistance did them great credit. ’s stratagems have now carved out creditable draws with both the top two sides, but what Logica badly need to do now is to step up a gear and start turning one point into three, preferably starting next week against Bragança.