Logica returned to action after an enforced two month winter break to face a resurgent Broadway side who had put their early-season poor form behind them. A strong run of form since December found them level on points with Logica, whilst in their last outing a fortnight ago, they had disposed of Sporting Brixton to reach the Ron Le Beau Challenge Cup Final. With both teams closing in on the faltering Bald Eagles in fourth place, this morning’s victors would be taking a significant step towards that much coveted final Champions League spot.

The big question was whether the team’s lengthy break would find the players refreshed and raring to go, or rather would find them returning sleepy-eyed and a little ring rusty. As wryly observed before kick-off, it felt like start of a new season.

Despite the extensive holiday opportunities afforded them over the previous eight weeks, there were still some big name absentees for such a vital match, most notably a goalkeeper. With fighting tooth and nail to clear his name in the wake of the explosive GongGate accusations alleging bribery and corruption in the media world (the snooty broadsheets taking umbrage that a -orchestrated cabal should vote the News of the World as Newspaper of the Year), moved quickly to replace such experience with more Lag quality. Scottish midfield ace was re-signed on a short-term loan deal from Heart of Midlothian, whilst Hull ace made his long-awaited return from a serious knee injury sustained nearly two years ago in the Rome World Cup.

Remarkably, last played a competitve domestic match in Logica colours back in April 1991 before a big money transfer lured him back north of the Border. Surely this gap of fourteen years between appearances must be a club record - not even 's pseudo retirements lasted this long, alas.

And there was more eleventh hour disruption from an unlikely source. With unavailable once more, reliable stand-in stickman had been allocated the gloves. But just an hour before kick-off the committed Italian libero called in to say that he was instead attending a memorial service for John Paul II. Quite frankly, such an turn of events is disappointing: with his high connections, one would have expected to be able to pull a few strings and either arrange a midweek papal expiry, or at the very least have the news of his demise hushed up until after such a big match had been played.

Thus it was that had to fall back on the erratic goalkeeping skills of , and , who was hoping for a gentle 5-minute cameo as substitute, was instead thrown into the starting line-up as striking foil.

Given these pre-match distractions, Logica started with promising aplomb. After had pounced smartly in the first few minutes to whip the ball off the toe of a Broadway striker with a clean run on goal, the home side took control and set about probing the weak spots in the visiting back line. The platform for this promising start was the central midfield axis of and , the former his usual whirlwind of controlled aggression, the latter a calm head employing his fine vision to repeatedly prompt attacks whilst never conceding possession cheaply.

The result was a number of carefully crafted chances. A snappy build-up saw freed in the inside right channel, and having sped to the bye-line, the skipper floated in the most delicate of crosses that took the keeper out and skimmed along the top of the bar. But unfortunately there was no Logica player waiting to finish at the back stick.

Soon a similar move saw galloping along the bye-line towards goal. As the Broadway keeper advanced nervously, the Hull man lifted the ball across the face of goal, but tragically just inches too far ahead of the lunging . Further pressure saw a scramble in the Broadway box, and as the ball was half-cleared in the air, set himself and unleashed a blistering volley from 15 yards that seemed goalbound until it deflected off an unknowing defender and just wide of the post.

But amidst all this good work, Broadway showed that they too could pose the occasional threat. and had already executed some sublimely timed tackles to keep the visitors at bay, before they took the lead in rather soft fashion. A corner was well blocked at the near post, but a hurried clearance only returned the ball to the taker. A second floated cross saw Broadway’s tall defender jumping highest, and a looping heading was too high for the defender on the post as it dipped just under the bar [0-1]

Worse was to follow just before the interval. A break down the right saw a dangerous cross speared behind the Logica rearguard. produced a necessary and acrobatic interception, but the ball ballooned into the six-yard box. It was the keeper’s ball but made a complete hash of trying to collect it on the half-volley, and whilst spectacularly cleared the first effort off the line, a second shot from the rebound found the back of the net [0-2].

The goalkeeping liability swapped places with the tiring at the break, and the new keeper's blushes were spared when his first attempted clearance cannoned back off an attacker into the net, only to be ruled out for hand-ball. But it was the introduction of at left-back that had the biggest impact. Showing a smart footballing brain in just his fourth appearance as substitute, the newcomer was quickly playing some neat passes and giving good overlapping options to on the left flank.

And it was this pair that brought Logica back into contention. was sharpest to react to a loose ball and got there before the defender to set free on the left. The Norwich man was away and as he bore down on goal from an acute angle, he shaped to pull the ball back to or , who were both galloping optimistically up to support. The Broadway gloveman took the bait and a step out in anticipation of the cross, only to look on helplessly as instead rolled the ball between keeper and near post for a brilliant finish [1-2].

Suddenly belief surged back into tired Logica legs, and they chased an equaliser with gusto. set the example, continuing to work the channels despite the onset of cramp. Twice he manoeuvred himself into shooting positions, the first time forcing the keeper into a full-length parry, the second time slightly stubbing his shot which was again bundled to safety. The visitors were noticeably rattled, and nearly took full advantage when he stole in to get his head on a punt, but his looping header from the edge of the box was just wide. The ageing striker was again using his head minutes later to deftly flick on a long clearance into the path of the anticipating skipper, but the ball ran on just too much and the Broadway keeper got to it a fraction ahead of .

With the game in the balance it took a moment of brilliance to decide the outcome. once again lunged into a biting tackle, and with the two combatants writhing in agony, most players stopped in concern for their welfare. But the ball ran to the Broadway left-winger, and the sharp referee made a quick and clear gesture to play on. The visitor wasted no time in unleashing a viciously swerving drive from fully 30 yards that flew into the top corner. Keeper protested that he thought he’d heard the referee’s whistle, but in truth he’d have been helpless even if he’d tried to pull off a save [1-3].

This strike took the wind out of Logica’s suddenly weary sails, and a half-hearted offside trap with just minutes remaining, merely left a Broadway forward with space to head a long cross beyond the exposed Logica keeper for a cruel fourth goal [1-4]. The last kick of the game saw substitute break away to fire a low shot that the Broadway keeper once again blocked, and Logica were left to face the reality that any lingering hopes of promotion were now extinguished. But there was still plenty to admire in this comeback performance against on-song opponents, and 's men must keeping pushing to collect as many points as possible from the remaining four matches to strive for a finish that does justice to a promising campaign.