It was a case of new year but same score, as Logica fell to their second consecutive 5-4 defeat in even more dramatic circumstances. In Logica’s most convincing attempt yet to emulate ‘the game of two halves’ cliché, early defensive uncertainties contributed significantly to a 5-0 half-time deficit, before a convincing and spirited second half come-back failed by a whisker to restore parity.

Predictably, a festive season spent avidly practising the arts of gluttony, imbibement, and slothicity, resulted in many of the Logica players looking less than sharp as we began our first game in four weeks. Paunch rather than punch was the order of the day, but we were grateful for that tornado over the Fulham area on Christmas Day, which had resulted in a power-cut and no Christmas dinner in the Clarke household. This meant our ex-Supremo and man-to-man maestro was not looking too fat. In contrast, our opponent’s left-winger must have been fasting for fun, and was indeed extremely fast. He tore Logica apart in the first half, and it was not until we combatted his pace with our Pace in the second half, that Logica could relax and concentrate fully on attack.

Tower exploited both Logica’s slackness and their winger’s speed with a series of long diagonal balls over our back-line. An effective tactic to say the least, which yielded two goals in the first five minutes. First, Lefty was sent clear but his shot was saved by Abbott in goal with his legs. Toman was first to the rebound and hoofed clear, but the clearance struck Tower’s centre-forward on the hand and the ball ricocheted into the goal. The raging debate about refereeing competency will surely be further fuelled by our arbiter’s failure to see this infringement (just as well Johninho only took his seat in the Main Stand later in the first half). Tower’s second was indisputable, as Lefty’s break culminated in a darting cross which was headed home at the far post.

Logica dug in and wrestled control of the game from Tower. Some neat combinations began to emerge, and Toman in particular looked dangerous down the left. One particular burst of pace gave the Geordie dazzler enough time and space to square an accurate cross to Spence, but the Scottish hot-shot side-footed narrowly wide. Spence was even closer minutes later, when Logica’s best passing move of the half climaxed with a bullet-cross from Gow which the striker volleyed inches past the post.

These missed opportunities were ruthlessly punished by Lefty. Breaking clear, he drew Abbott and dallied, but just as the chance looked lost be squared sharply for an onrushing Tower midfielder to drill home. Once more it was just like the buses, with no goals for ages and then two at once. Lefty nipped in front of Burdett and bore down on goal. Abbott covered his shot, but the ball squirmed under the goalkeeper’s body and it was a Tower striker who got to the loose ball ahead of Clarke and make it 4-0. As if shell-shocked, Logica fearlessly staggered straight back into enemy territory, and a couple of half-chances settled the nerves. Jon Clarke was put through but again the shot was narrowly wide. Then Toman created a shooting chance for himself, but the Tower keeper saved well. Logica were still feeling sorry for themselves at the unjust nature of the scoreline, when Tower recorded a fifth goal on the stroke of half time. A hopeful ball over the top found Abbott too slow to come off his line, and he was beaten to the ball by an incredulous opponent who slotted home. Tower had had five chances and scored them all, Abbott had not had a save to make otherwise. Logica had had four equally good chances but had no goals to show for their efforts.

Logica had little further to lose and shuffled their pack. The hapless Abbott passed the gloves to Appleyard, and trotted off to join Spence up front. Pace was introduced with strict instructions to man-mark Lefty, and Trovato was brought on to add more guile to the midfield. Within minutes Logica had pulled a goal back. Abbott proved far sharper outfield and robbed a dallying defender. There a followed a display of Olympic standard fannying (pairs category) which surely puts Logica’s ageing strike force up there with the best. Abbott drew the keeper and stopped, threw in a couple of dummies to pass the time and waited for a defender to get back. When at last the defender arrived, Abbott cut back across him, drew the keeper once more, and then passed the baton to Spence. The Scot also found time on his hands, and whilst waiting for his defender to turn up, dribbled out wide for something to do. When the Tower man eventually showed up, Spence feinted to shoot but cut back inside leaving the late-arrival flat on his arse. Spence ambled goalwards, waiting for two defenders and the keeper to almost converge on him before side-footing home at tantalising pace. Total time to put the ball in the net was measured at three minutes and fify four seconds. Quality stuff!

Logica drew confidence from this scant reward, and took the game to Tower for long periods, although few clear-cut chances were created. Abbott came closest, once more robbing a defender but his instant shot flew the wrong side of the post. It was our free-scoring libero Hatton who added some respectability to the score, with a delightful lob from an acute angle on the left. For those cynics amongst the crowd, this reporter can confirm that the shot was indeed intended, as he has seen Hatton score in this exact same manner on at least one previous occassion. With ten minutes to go, Logica eeked out a third. Some one-touch passing released Toman and his fierce shot could only be parried. It was Chris Bramwell, who was on hand in the right place at the right time to tuck away his first ever goal for the club. Whilst Chris organised some synchronised laps of honour, a team-mate speedily retrieved the ball from the net. The message was clear: Logica thought they could go two better than Chelsea and pull back this five goal deficit.

Logica piled the pressure on. With only a couple of minutes to go, they won a free-kick ten yards outside the box. Jon Clarke took his time before picking out Hatton at the near post. The merest of glances found Richmond sticking out a knee and diverting the ball home to make the score a dramatic 5-4. Could Logica pull off the impossible? There was still time. More pressure brought a corner, and Clarke whipped it in. The Tower keeper was now a nervous wreck, and came to claim the cross but dropped it. The ball fell to Bramwell in the six yard box, but incredibly his shot was blocked on the line by a lunging Tower defender. Within seconds it was all over, and Logica were left to reflect on what might have been had the first half not been quite so unkind.