Unlike the match itself, this week's MoM Poll proved a close battle as the voters were left to decide between forward and back. Despite the score-line, which accurately reflects Logica's best performance of the season, there were critical periods at the start of each half when Logica were under pressure. And it was Hatton Major more than anyone else who stood firm in another majestic display of the defensive arts.

But goals pay the rent, and in the end the electorate just came down in favour of aging hat-trick hero Mark Abbott's favour. It was not just the quality nor the elaborateness of his goals, but also their timing. The lethally clinical equaliser provided a prompt response to Deportivo's opener and did not allow time for Logica heads to drop. And the international class and completely unnecessary fanny just after the interval gave Logica the decisive goal at exactly the critical time in a game when they are more often apt to concede.

The striker, who will be 38 next month, appears to have battled back from a string of niggling hamstring injuries to finally find some form and fitness. He has now bagged six goals in his last seven games, a run that has seen Logica grab 3 wins and 2 draws in their miraculous and phoenixesque post-Christmas resurgence. Whole forests of wood will be being touched in the hope that he can stay fit and take this kind of form into both Sunday's crunch final match as well as the World Cup in Holland.