The season is well into its business end, with the two Ronnies Cup Finals both played and the Division Two title race about to reach its climax. Indeed there are just three remaining Second Division fixtures scheduled, and Logica find themselves involved in two of them.
Results in April have continued to show that any team in the division can potentially beat any other, with overall little impact on the league table. Perhaps most notably, already-relegated Invictus went on a winning spree as they beat first West Six and then the Dragons to at least finish in double figures points-wise. Despite beating Welham and drawing against us, the Dragons lost their final match of the season (albeit by the narrow margin of 2-3) against title-chasing Bald Eagles to confirm them as the second relegated side.
That last result could represent a decisive twist in the two-horse title race. Whilst the Bald Eagles were bagging their 14th win of the campaign, leaders Broadway were slipping to a surprise defeat to Spectra by the same scoreline. The Eagles thus jumped two points clear at the top of the table, with both teams just having one scheduled match remaining. If Broadway fail to beat the Atlas Lions this Sunday, then the Eagles will be crowned Champions without having to kick another ball. A Broadway victory would leave the Eagles having to beat Logica the following Sunday in their last game.
So we may well find ourselves invited to make up the numbers at yet another Title party. Last season we put up a brave battle before late goals enabled Supercala to pop the champagne corks as they claimed the Champions' crown. This year we will be hoping to prove genuine party-poopers. If we win our last two matches we would move up a place to sixth, but perhaps more impressively claim our biggest points haul since way back in 1989-90 when we last won the title ourselves with 33 points. Our best haul since then was 28 points in the 2001-02 season. However, there is currently some doubt as to whether our fixture against Kew will go ahead this Sunday, as it is essentially a meaningless fixture as far Sportmans League mandarins are concerned at a time when pitches are at a premium.
Whilst the Division Two title is still to be decided, the two Ronnies Cup Finals were both played in April. Our Division can perhaps take some pride in that we were represented in both Finals, but both Fulham Utd and Atlas Lions ultimately lost on their big days out. Fifth Division Charing Cross just edged the Little Ron Cup Final against in-form Fulham, and as they current sit atop their division having lost just one game, we may be seeing more of them next year. A fortnight later in the Big Ron Final, Atlas were the underdogs but went down 2-0 to First Division Macsports in the Hurlingham show-piece. We can't help but think that some Cup glory is long overdue for Logica, and perhaps our quarter-final appearance this year might just give us the taste for greater things next season.
See the Results Grid for the results of all Division Two teams this season.
Division Two Results -
Sunday 2nd April
Atlas Lions v Welham Athletic [Match award to Welham]
Fulham United 2-2 HOT Notting Hill
Invictus 1-0 South West Dragons
Logica P-P Kew Green
Spectra 0-3 Bald Eagles
Division Two Results -
Sunday 9th April
Bald Eagles 2-1 Kew Green
Invictus 3-2 West Six
Logica 5-2 Atlas Lions
Spectra 3-6 HOT Notting Hill
Welham Athletic 0-1 South West Dragons
Little Ron Cup Final -
Sunday 9th April
Charing Cross [Div 5, 1st] 2-1 Fulham United [Div 2, 4th]
Division Two Results -
Sunday 23rd April
Broadway 5-1 Kew Green
Logica 1-1 South West Dragons
Big Ron Cup Final -
Sunday 23rd April
Macsports [Div 1, 4th] 2-0 Atlas Lions [Div 2, 10th]
Division Two Results -
Sunday 30th April
Broadway 2-3 Spectra
Fulham United 5-2 Kew Green
Notting Hill v Invictus [Match award to NH]
South West Dragons 2-3 Bald Eagles
Division Two Fixtures -
Sunday 7th May
Broadway v Atlas Lions
Logica v Kew Green
Division Two Fixtures -
Sunday 14th May
Bald Eagles v Logica