Logica paid scant regard to established football lore which claims it is always difficult playing against ten men, as they saw off the numerically challenged Atlas Lions with minimal fuss. Indeed, our variant on the cliché should perhaps state that Logica always find it difficult playing against eleven men.

Although the Lions went to the wrong ground initially (clearly their moniker doesn’t refer to prowess with a Road Atlas) and then turned up a man short, had selection problems of his own. Missing a whole roster of stars which included , , , , , and , could only round up a bare dozen, and more significantly was forced to get out of bed himself on a Sunday morning for the first time in three weeks.

The Lions’ attacking roar had not quietened since we narrowly beat them back in October, but equally their rearguard defences still best resembled a pig’s arse. It took Logica some fifteen minutes to realise they had time and space in which to play, whilst some initial bravado from the visitors was reasonably comfortably dealt with: was forced into a smart hoik clear in the six yard box, whilst stand-in gloveman was on his toes to race from his box and slide-tackle a released Lion.

But as Logica began to pass the ball with composure, so they slowly began to dominate, especially in midfield. In the middle of the park, always provided an option whilst the terrier-like was quick to regain possession at every turn. provided a sophisticated presence on the left, and became increasingly influential on the other wing.

The home team were regularly opening up the flanks and the first goal came from a sweeping move involving both wings. burst clear down the left only to see his dangerous cross evade everyone. But retrieved the ball on the right, and brilliantly dribbled along the bye-line before squaring accurately to . Last year’s Golden Boot winner controlled the ball in a trice, and thumped it emphatically into the roof of the net from close range for his first goal of an injury-ravaged season [1-0].

Having exposed the Lions’ frailty at the back, Logica went in for the kill. A move of elegant simplicity saw a pass chipped into , who quite exquisitely laid the ball into the path of his strike partner darting in from the right. took the ball on his chest as he galloped into the box, and fired an unstoppable left-foot drive just inside the near post [2-0]. nearly bagged his first Logica goal when a similar move saw him played clear minutes later, but his precise shot bounced back cruelly off the far post into a grateful Lion keeper’s arms.

At the interval, threw down his Sondico goalkeeping gauntlets which unselfishly picked up. Practically the former’s first out-field involvement was to set up a third Logica goal. collected a Logica clearance just outside his own box and picked out the striker in space on half way. bided his time, using a great run by to his left as a decoy before dissecting the Atlas rearguard with a finely weighted pass that also tempted the keeper hesitantly from his line. Quite amazingly it was at the end of a 60-yard run who was the target, and he was still alert enough to slip the ball past the exposed keeper from just outside the box [3-0]. Possibly the longest cumulative one-two in Logica FC history.

Such confident dominance clearly did not sit easily on Logica shoulders, and a ten minute spell of R&R quickly brought the situation back into more familiar territory. The Atlas forwards had shown an almost addictive penchant for the elaborate, with back-heels, lollipops and dummies at every turn, but finally such trickery culminated in an end result. Some intricate interplay fed an Atlas attacker, and eight dummies and four bamboozled defenders later, the Lion had zigzagged his way clear and blasted past the exposed [3-1].

Within minutes the deficit was cut to one when a hopeful shot spun up off the outstretched boot of , looping up over the helpless Logica keeper and just inside the top-right corner of the net [3-2]. This was tough luck on , who was brilliantly authoritative throughout as he uncomplainingly played out of position again and looked every inch the experienced centre half.

This second strike woke Logica from their slumbers, and a concerted response won a free-kick 25 yards out. dummied to shoot before dinked a neat dead-ball into , who had drifted in unnoticed at the back stick. Controlling the ball and turning in one quick movement, the Logica midfielder clipped an audacious finish off the outside of his boot that found the back of the net via the far post [4-2].

With Logica having quickly re-established their authority, Atlas began to lose the plot as their frustration manifested itself in some amateur dramatics. Logica kept their heads cool however. The Atlas keeper was practically playing as a sweeper near the halfway line, and twice (who was creating and exploiting the space on the right flank brilliantly) clipped efforts past him from distance only to see the ball roll inches the wrong side of the far post.

had a perfectly good second goal ruled out after he deftly tucked home ’s cross, floated over the last defender. The linesman’s flag was belatedly and erroneously raised on that occasion, but Logica soon had a fifth when ’s low corner was spilled by the erratic Atlas gloveman, and was on hand to force home his fourth goal of the season [5-2].

thus had the three points demanded by the Mediocrity Roadmap, whilst Atlas continued to lose their way, allowing Logica to leapfrog over them into seventh spot. A spot of Dragon-slaying on St George’s Day, and Logica might even think about mustering a top half finish.