Report by Jeff Hatton

As a counterpoint to their recent End of Year results, the opening day of the 2002/3 season proved a profitable one for Logica, deservedly taking all three points in a potentially difficult fixture against Prince of Wales.

Early indications are that Supremo Groom, reclaiming the reins from World Cup impresario Jez Brown, has a squad of some depth to choose from this season. Despite an absentee list which read like a World Cup Select XI including the likes of Clarke, McWilliam, Hoyland and Gautam, Groom had no less than twenty hopefuls available to take the field (if selected).

In his wisdom, the young canary-fancier opted for a familiar blend of youth and experience. James Buck had made himself an automatic selection in central midfield following his impressive role in the rout of Sun Microsystems earlier in the week. He was asked to reprise his role as foil to Dav Gautam - Logica's very own Jan Molby and, in the absence of 'Pup of the Cup' Trovato, Groom also retained the surprisingly effective centre-half pairing of Hatton Major and Brown from the aforementioned fixture. Elsewhere the six-yard sniper, Banoub, was partnered by the club's most loyal servant - Mark Abbott. It is said that the latter has now played more games and scored more goals for Logica than the rest of the squad combined [Only by him - Ed].

Prince of Wales could have been forgiven for starting the game in confident mood having placed immediately above Logica in 5th place last season. Furthermore, just prior to the summer break, the POWs handed a depleted Logica side a stinging lesson in decisive finishing, notching five goals without return. Nevertheless, within 5 minutes they found themselves trailing when one of their own back line shinned a dangerous Reevaldo cross from the right flank into his own net, as Logica pressed forward early doors [1-0].

Seeing this example of clinical finishing under pressure, Banoub quickly stepped up to double Logica's advantage thereby jump-starting his campaign to wrest the Golden Boot from Abbott. Inside 15 minutes, the economically-coiffed one seized on a precise Taylor cross deep in the POW camp and applied his trademark, close-range finish [2-0].

Stung into action by this early mauling, POW immediately stepped up a gear and a long ball over the Logica back four was collected by the same striker who had given the Logica back four such a torrid time at their last meeting. A strong run found him with only Pendleton to beat, but as he attempted to flick the ball past the advancing No. 1, the Big Man made himself even bigger, adroitly smothering the ball and the threat.

Thereafter the contest ebbed and flowed with POW probing for a way through the Logica back four, and the yellows countering with some flowing attacking football of their own. Logica were fighting for every ball in midfield, with Reevaldo, Gautam and Buck tackling tenaciously, and the energetic Mainwaring alternately feeding Twinkle Toes Taylor on the left and marauding up the flank himself. Buck, in particular, was covering every blade of grass and tackling like a man twice his size in a manner reminiscent of another Logica favourite - Matt 'The Boy' Denyer. Meanwhile, Brown was locked in a fierce personal battle with the POW No. 9 - a strong, pacey striker with a plethora of tricks in his locker. But the contents of the Brown Locker are not to be sniffed at either. Those who say that Brown talks a good game are well informed, and Brown's continual banter so disturbed the POW front-man that, even when he somehow outpaced or out-turned the laconic triogenarian, his final ball was ill-judged or his strike on goal poorly executed. Only once was he able to hit the target, rising unchallenged in the Logica box to direct a bullet header goalward, but Pendleton was again equal to the challenge and rose salmonically to palm the ball over the bar.

At right back, Groom was displaying his usual work ethic in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, matched as he was against POW's answer to Emile Heskey. The fleet-footed East Anglian refused to be beaten, even if this meant resorting to the occasional 'professional' challenge.

But with five minutes to go before the interval, POW managed to put themselves back in the game with a moment of individual brilliance. Logica failed to clear from a corner and with the ball bouncing high across the 6-yard box, the POW No.10 executed a perfect overhead kick which Pendleton could not repel, despite getting a hand to the ball [2-1].

The Logica defence held firm until half-time at which point Groom made the ultimate sacrifice and, as he so often does, pulled himself off. In his place for the second half - Hatton Minor, back in the fray after a season of intensive carbo-loading. It was as if he had never been away and it was not long before he was making the kind of decisive challenges that have made him a household name in osteopathic circles.

The game remained evenly balanced with POW seeing a lot of the ball but Logica fashioning the better openings. Unfortunately, promising build-up play all too often lacked a decisive finish. Gautam, usually deadly from the edge of the box, for once was unable to find the underside of the bar. Taylor, likewise, could only test the reactions of the hypothetical supporters in row Z behind the POW goal, and Abbott was unable to beat the opposition keeper from an unfeasibly tight angle after a clever short corner which appeared to have come straight from an unspecified training ground.

At the other end, Logica were fortunate not to concede when POW No.10 eluded Hatton Major only to strike a fierce drive off the top of the cross-bar from just inside the box. The referee decided to inject further excitement by awarding a dubious indirect free-kick for obstruction inside the box, but the Logica wall did its job and, after a retake, the ball was lashed well over the bar.

Within minutes POW were made to regret their profligacy when, after yet another nifty short corner routine between Reevaldo and Gautam, the former crossed with unerring accuracy to Abbott, whose glancing header could only be parried by the POW keeper. Hatton Minor ghosted in at the back post to slot home what was, astonishingly, his first goal in Logica colours, from close range [3-1].

Banoub had run himself into the ground, and not wishing to see his cherished goals-per-minute ratio diminished any further, graciously made way for another Logica stalwart. Back from the wilderness was Steve Lambert, and within minutes his powerful running was causing all kinds of problems for the POW back line. In fact, the man they call 'Stevie' was unlucky not to put the game beyond POW's reach when a long ball over the top from Hatton Major caught the defence square, only for the Bobble Gods to make their first appearance of the season, rendering the ball uncontrollable and allowing POW to get men behind the ball. A quick interchange with Reevaldo gave Lambert a second bite of the proverbial cherry, but he could only blaze his snapshot over the bar from the edge of the box.

With ten minutes left on the watch, POW gave themselves a toehold with a spectacular shank. Unable to make any ingress into the Logica box, the ball was laid back to a POW midfielder who stepped and sliced the ball goalward from 25 yards. Pendleton could only stand and admire the beautiful, eccentric arc of the ball's flight as it swerved away from him, hanging in the late summer sky before dipping to find the top corner of the net [3-2].

In seasons past, this would have resulted in a frenzied siege of the Logica goal and much wailing and gnashing of teeth on the Logica bench, but it is a mark of the new-found confidence coursing through the Logica side that POW were unable to fashion another chance of note in the remaining minutes. A fine team performance and three points liberated from the POW camp - mission accomplished.