Convinced that their name was on the Cup, Logica gave a battling performance in the mud and for an hour remained in with a chance of pulling off another shock. With so many absentees, Logica were grateful for the return to fitness of a quality defender. Fleming had broken his collar bone in a pre-season friendly, and only now, after a long and difficult healing period, was the young Scot ready again for the fray.

Another debutante was Abbott, who with Supremo Clarke away scouting for even more Italian talent, was made responsible for delivering the day's inspiring clichés. Not only that, with Humphreys also unavailable for selection, Abbott was awarded the dubious honour of donning the gloves and charged with keeping the ball out of the Logica net.

Abbott fulfilled his first duty impressively, delivering a torrent of motivational clichés in the long pre-match warm-up allowed by Battersea's late arrival. Abbott was successful in his second task for approximately ninety seconds. A free header from a Labour corner was brilliantly cleared off the line by Fleming guarding a post, but the rebound was slammed home from close range. So a familiar start for Logica then.

After this, however, Logica stood relatively firm and defended with some competence, Abbott only being called upon to make a couple of saves and even coming to catch a corner. One of these saves was somewhat unconventional. After coming to meet a long, over-hit pass at the edge of his area, the novice number one dropped the slippery ball behind him at the feet of an on-rushing attacker who gleefully hit the ball towards the unguarded goal. For once, Abbott's years of practice fannying about in the oppositions penalty box paid dividends, as he instinctively stuck out his right foot and back-heeled the ball to safety.

That apart there was little in the way of entertainment to warm the hardy band of Logica fans away to the left. Logica held on to hope for an hour in determined fashion, until a blistering shot into the top left-hand corner ended their resistance. A Battersea break minutes later found attackers to spare and a third goal. It was not long before Moore was unfortunate to concede a penalty, with an unintentional trip on a Labour forward who had no chance of reaching the ball. Abbott was given no chance from the spot and the scoring was complete.

Logica regained their composure for the last quarter but still failed to threaten. Only one good chance was created when Turner was extremely unlucky with a far post header which went inches wide. That apart, it was a case of failing to keep possession, and age-old Logica trait. Gow was the most impressive player in the Logica side, regularly playing intelligent passes and demonstrating good composure on the ball. But at the end of the day, there can only be one winner, and Logica's glorious cup trail was brought to a somewhat limp end, leaving them to concentrate on the league.