A gusting wind, persistent rain and awkward opponents proved less decisive than Logica's penchant for digging themselves into an inextricable hole early doors. For the second game running, the men from Stade d'Ilea contrived to find themselves in substantial half time arrears, leaving too much work to do during a spirited second period fight back to earn even a point. Once again, competent rather than brilliant opposition left a disappointed home crowd with the feeling that three points had been thrown away.

Again, Logica did not help their own cause by their inability to field key players in a key match. A must-win bread-and-butter league game was already missing the likes of Reevaldo, McWilliam, Fleming and Clarke, when the Supremo was further handicapped by the last minute withdrawal of goalkeeper Lee Pendleton and defender Jeff Hatton. The Ordnance Survey Gods nearly claimed another victim, as they sent full back Mike Marsh on a wild goose-chase around a selection of South London grounds before he finally blundered across Logica's home ground at 10.15. At least the team was boosted by the appearance of Frenchman Sandric Loriot, who, despite now working back in his homeland, had enthusiastically made himself available for selection during a weekend visit to Blighty.

After the previous match, in which a 0-4 half time deficit proved one goal too many to claw back, Logica were determined to start positively and take the initiative. This they did in no uncertain terms. Straight from the kick off, Loriot fed Taylor who bull-dozed his way past two defenders in the style of Emile Heskey before screwing his shot a few yards wide. A weak goal-kick followed, and Hoyland was the most alert, pouncing on the loose ball but again the final shot was off target.

Pleasantly surprised at being out of the blocks so smartly, Logica created a number of other promising positions in the first quarter which unfortunately came to nothing. Hoyland on the left, and Loriot in the middle, were creating most of the danger by running at defenders. However, unconvincing final passes and a swirling wind combined to restrict the home team to few clear cut openings.

There were, though, already danger signs at the other end. Prince of Wales adopted a fairly direct approach, and a couple of long balls over the top had already caused some unease in the Logica rearguard before the visitors took the lead in controversial fashion. Another long ball behind Trovato and Mainwaring found Gill in two minds whether to come out or not. When he did plump for advancement, his decision was justified as he just got to the ball first. The centre forward continued with his challenge and the merest half juggle saw the ball run loose. The striker was able to put the ball into the empty net despite a valiant lunge from Groom [0-1]. The appeals of the Logica players, that Gill had the ball in both hands when he was bundled over, fell on deaf ears.

Another hopeful hoof saw the home side concede a second goal. Trovato let the ball bounce before he and Marsh got in each other's way, allowing the other Wales forward through to strike past an exposedGill [0-2]. So once again Logica found themselves chasing the game, against a side they really should be looking to beat if promotion is to be a realistic aspiration.

The players could not be faulted for effort, but flashes of dominance only served to increase the frustration since there was neither an end-product nor more consistent control of the game. Loriot and Wood continued their intelligent prompting from the middle of the park, Hoyland's pace constituted the most dangerous weapon, but Field was under-used up-wind on the right flank. Taylor and Fazel worked extremely hard in attack, but with only sporadic service, much of this involved putting pressure on the visiting defenders.

Half chances did pop up every now and then. Great work by Fazel saw him shrug off one challenge before darting into the box along the bye-line. But the percentage option was probably the pull back rather than the shot from an acute angle which failed to trouble the keeper. Hoyland was again posing a threat minutes later, getting himself onto the end of a good move, but again the finish lacked a cutting edge as the keeper easily caught the Sheffielder's effort with the outside of the boot. Taylor also had a couple of good runs, the best of which saw him upended unceremoniously twenty five yards from goal, but Loriot's free-kick cannoned back off the wall.

It was far from being one-way traffic, and the visitors continued to cause some anxious moments for the Stade' d'Ilea faithful with their long balls. One such attack yielded all kinds of mayhem in the Logica penalty area, and after a couple of defenders' particularly deceptive attempts to clear the danger had completely fooled Gill, the ball dribbled to a Prince of Wales player twelve yards out with the goal at his mercy. A low shot seemed goalbound when, from nowhere, Groom slid in with the speed and impact of a Virgin express locomotive to block the effort. The ball rebounded to the same player whose second effort was blocked even more heroically by the Supremo's perfectly placed face.

This was the most dramatic of many good moments for the Supremo, who turned in perhaps his most impressive defensive performance in Logica colours. He showed on a number of occasions some perceptive anticipation to be in the right place at the right time to effect a vital clearance, and one Hansen-esque tackle as he chased a forward to the bye-line before nicking the ball and swivelling inside and away to clear, was a particular pleasure to behold. Thus it was a big disappointment for the home fans when their leader was forced to leave the field of play on the hour with a thigh injury.

Groom's hobbling departure did, however, herald the return of Abbott after a hamstrung absence of nearly three months. After two false starts, the extended recuperation seemed to have done the trick, and the ageing forward appeared to be operating again at full 'pace'. On top of the sheer pleasure of simply being back playing, the player also celebrated his return with a "classic" Abbott goal.

Logica had huffed and puffed again after the interval, and, if not exactly displaying the finer arts of the game at every turn, they did at least continue to take the game to Prince of Wales. Taylor was unlucky after some dogged perseverance saw a chased ball squirm past the keeper but roll slowly wide. Hoyland was very unlucky to be flagged offside when set clear by a delicate Abbott chip, and a towering Trovato header from a corner was a foot too high much to the relief of a helpless Wales rearguard.

When the goal finally did arrive, it was no surprise that Loriot was the architect. Embarking on another characteristically devastating run, defender after defender had no answer as the Frenchman weaved this way and that. Cutting into the box, Loriot burst past the last man but, just as the trigger was about to be pulled, he was bundled clumsily to the ground by a combination of defender and keeper. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, nor did Abbott, who grabbed the ball and side-footed it firmly past the keeper. Unfortunately, the Logica man had been a tad too enthusiastic, for the man in black had not been ready, still scribbling something into his little book in fact. A retake was ordered, but the experienced striker was unflurried, burying the penalty kick in exactly the same spot, and Logica were back in business [1-2].

Logica now did a passable impression of a team with the bit between their teeth. The Supremo had flung Banoub and Howarth into the action from the bench, and the fresh legs added urgency, although the overall pattern of the game remained scrappy. Loriot was unlucky as he headed a Wood free kick straight at the keeper, and Howarth was aggrieved to be flagged off side after Abbott played him in behind the last man. If this and the earlier decision against Hoyland rankled, it should be noted that Logica were themselves saved on more than one occasion by the linesman's flag, not to mention some smart saves by Gill.

It would appear that the Football Gods are quite keen on invoking the old cliché where games are decided in a few seconds of cruelly twisting fate. As Logica pressed more and more men forward in search of an equaliser, Abbott received the ball near the bye-line from a throw-in, with his back to goal. Executing what is fast becoming a trademark Cruyff turn, and leaving his man in a heap of knotted limbs, he whipped in a left-foot cross that appeared to have looped over the keeper to where Banoub's forehead waited, dribbling in anticipation.

From nowhere, however, the Prince of Wales' number one found an extra few inches, and unbelievably managed to arch backwards and claw the ball away. The ball fell to a defender, and with Logica committed to the attack, the visitors moved the ball swiftly and easily upfield. With numerical supremacy, the ball was played to an unmarked forward, and, with Logica's defenders desperately appealing unsuccessfully for offside, he advanced purposefully and slotted the ball past Gill. [1-3].

There were little more than five minutes remaining, but Logica refused to throw in the towel. Wood held onto possession in the centre circle before unleashing a visionary pass that sent Hoyland clear on goal. This time there was no flag, and the Yorkshireman expertly dribbled around the advancing goalkeeper before planting the ball firmly into an empty net in clinical fashion [2-3].

A manic finale ensued, and Howarth epitomised the home side's never-say-die optimism as he attempted an audacious overhead kick from a corner, but unfortunately made no contact. In these situations, the straw clutched onto tenuously is that there will always be one more chance, and from Logica's perspective, it fell to the right man. Abbott received the ball midway in the opponents' half and wasted no time in feeding Loriot on the edge of the box. The Frenchman once again dropped that by now familiar shoulder, pushed the ball through a defenders legs, and the Stade d'Ilea rose as one in expectation. But somehow the defender just managed to turn in time and block Loriot's run, thus enabling the keeper to come out and smother the ball. Logica's appeals for obstruction were borne more out of hope than conviction, and the referee was having none of it.

As the ball was cleared, the final whistle sounded, and Logica had fallen to their second consecutive defeat of 2002. Once more a sloppy first half had left them with too much catching up to do, and three points went the way of eminently beatable opponents. This last fact is perhaps the most frustrating element of both games, and any hopes Logica may have had for sneaking a promotion place are now firmly archived under 'F' for 'Fanciful'.