Despite a much improved performance and a first ever club goal for Reevaldo, Logica still fell to a disappointing league defeat on Sunday. A fired-up team had looked odds on to get something out of the game after Reevaldo's clinical header had equalised an early Chelsea goal, also from a corner. But two further set-piece strikes from the Stamford Bridge outfit in the second half meant a fourth consecutive league defeat for the men in red.

After last weeks dramatic Cup exit at the hands of the same opponents, there was much pre-match talk in the dressing room about revenge. Logica's slothful start to the game was thus a little surprising, and indeed it was only an opening goal from Chelsea that seemed to spur them into action. Early pressure from the visitors brought three successive corners, and from the last they took the lead courtesy of a header from six yards out (0-1).

Mindful, of an urgent need for points, Logica began to compete. This was best personified by Phil Hatton, who was embroiled in a veritable wrestling match with Chelsea's most dangerous forward for the majority of the ninety minutes. Elsewhere, the visitors were guilty of some over-enthusiastic and sometimes late tackling, although the referee showed little interest in this aspect of the game. At one point a dazzling run seemed to have taken Reevaldo away from the close attention of two defenders, only for him to be tripped and sent sprawling. The referee was not interested, and intimated that the Logica man had dived.

Occasionally Logica would string some good passes together, and seemed at their most dangerous down the right where Clarke and Reevaldo regularly combined to good effect. Abbott came close to equalising when he intercepted a wayward pass. Heading the ball over his marker, he was foiled at the last as the keeper dived at his feet. But with half an hour gone, Logica did equalise. Jon Clarke arrowed in another dangerous corner which defeated a flapping keeper, and Reevaldo bulletted a header Nat Lofthouse-style past a defender on the line (1-1). This was the Black Country boy's first goal in Logica colours, and he showed his relief and pleasure by thrusting a clenched fist in the direction of the massed banks of Logica ultra packed behind the rippling net.

The second half saw the match remaining equally balanced. That is, until Chelsea took the lead after about fifteen minutes. A long throw resulted in an ungainly scramble in the penalty area, and although Fleming blocked the first shot with his feet, a Chelsea player was on hand to poke home the rebound (1-2).

Logica rallied again, but some frequently pleasant build-up play rarely culminated in a penetrating final ball. Their best chance fell unfortunately to Abbott. Jon Clarke collected the ball out on the right touch-line and once more delivered a cross of pin-point accuracy, but Abbott's near post header was mis-judged and the chance went begging. Minutes later, a Logica move did get behind the Chelsea back line, but Gautam's fierce drive was brilliantly parried by the keeper and the rebound was cleared.

With ten minutes remaining, Chelsea scored a decisive third goal. A dubious free-kick was awarded inside Logica's half, and the ball was punted into the penalty area. Two Chelsea players advanced alone, and as the home defenders looked in vain for an offside flag, Fleming was vertically challenged by the two six-foot plus attackers. The contest was unequal, and a glancing header found the net (1-3). Logica remain probably the only Sunday league club in the country with honest linesmen. Something to be proud of I feel.

Ironically, this was a better performance than the Cup defeat, despite leading 2-0 for a long period of that game. Logica competed well, and there was little to choose between the teams for the most part. In the end, Logica succumbed to three dead-ball situations where Chelsea's aerial threat proved decisive. Fleming will be hoping that Richmond, Spence and Hoyland recover from their injuries quickly, and that the next three points are not long in arriving.