At the sixth attempt, Logica finally managed to beat Brentford Town, who were rapidly becoming our bogey team, in probably the performance of the season. As well as losing all three league games to date, Logica had also managed to draw Town in the first round of the cup over the last two seasons and had been heavily defeated on each occasion. The goal tally from these five defeats read For: 8, Against: 26.

It was no coincidence that such a one-sided track record was reversed on the day that Spence made his first full appearance of the season. The Super Scot had just returned from a four month sojourn in the States, and Logica immediately realised what they had been missing as Spence netted a hat-trick and was involved in most of the home side's numerous attacks.

It was Lambert however who set the ball rolling with a typical burst from midfield culminating in a finish at the second attempt. A dodgy penalty, awarded against a clumsy but innocent Millar, enabled Brentford to level, but then Spence set about his task with relish. His first came from a precise pass by Woolhouse as he cut inside a defender and side-footed home. Lambert then helped himself to a second as Abbott and Woolhouse combined to create the chance, before an exact replica of his first goal saw Spence coolly converting a Woolhouse defence splitting pass.

Clearly Logica couldn't let this sort of superiority continue and defensive sloppiness allowed Brentford to pull the score back to 4-2. Some predictable jitters followed before Spence calmed nerves and completed his hat-trick simultaneously. A long kick by Wildsmith was squared first time by Abbott to Spence, who, with some elaborate fannying about that Abbott himself would have been proud of, dummied seven times before finally slotting home past two dazed defenders and the keeper.

To round off a fine team performance, Logica scored possibly the goal of the season with a sweeping move from one end to the other. Abbott dropped deep to collect a short goal-kick from Wildsmith, and feed Spence on half-way. Turning swiftly he spied a fine run by Johninho and fed a ball perfectly into the midfielder's path. The eager Teessider had little problem in tucking the ball under the advancing keeper and a fine morning's work was completed.