STRIKING TWICE
Sporting Brixton 2-2 Logica
12 December 2004

On the opening day of the season, Logica had battled back gamely from a half-time deficit against Sporting Brixton to lead 3-2 with just minutes remaining. With the South London outfit psychologically beaten, Logica somehow contrived to gift their newly elevated opponents the softest of late equalisers and two points were expensively thrown away. That inadvertent act of charity still irked, and Groom’s charges were hell-bent on making amends in the club’s last game of 2004.

To this end a squad brimming with quality had been assembled, with the real benefits of Logica’s global business empire clear in the selection of French based star Sandric Loriot who popped over to Blighty for a game. The absence once again of a specialist keeper failed to worry the players assembling on a bitterly cold Sunday morning, with the all-round talents of Manlio Trovato stepping seamlessly into the goalkeeping breach. Even two last minute drop-outs failed to dampen Logica enthusiasm, as first Paul Raven was eventually beaten by the abysmal Sunday morning transport “system”, and then the Supremo himself headed back to bed suffering from some virus or other.

Things did not augur well when Abbott conceded possession straight from the kick-off via an unnecessarily elaborate back-heel attempt, but it was not long before Logica were collectively setting about their opponents with gusto. With the whole team applying effective pressure from front to back, Brixton had little choice but to resort to the hopeful long ball, and Logica were left to play the majority of the football, no mean feat on a pitch laid by the Groundsman of Bobble himself.

This pressure reaped early dividends when Abbott was bundled over jumping for a header and a free-kick was awarded close to the right touchline. Melville bent in a dangerous ball and who else but Loriot should anticipate the cross, leaping elegantly to direct a perfect glancing header just inside the far post [1-0].

The goal cemented Logica’s ascendancy, and they continued to carve out good chances at regular intervals. The strikers were combining well with a powerful midfield, and some of the build-up play showed both patience and imagination. Twice Abbott clipped perfect passes to release his strike partner Melville, but although the second one left the Norwich man with a clear run on goal, a marginal offside decision from the referee rendered a good finish meaningless.

Suranga Fernando battled dexterously past two challenges to get onto the end of another dangerous pass, but couldn’t quite reach the bouncing ball to get his effort on target. The same player then caused enough aerial commotion to enable a throw-in to reach the feet of Melville. The striker turned on the proverbial sixpence, only to see his swift snapshot fly just the wrong side of the post. Even Hatton Minor fancied his chances, but a blistering and ambitious effort from fully 40 yards flew over the bar.

Logica were fully aware that they had not fully exploited their first half dominance in terms of scoring goals, but set about the second half determined to maintain their ascendancy. This they managed to do for the first fifteen minutes, although Brixton were clearly trying to raise their game. Chapman and Hatton were completely in charge at the back however, and dealt comfortably with the sporadic aerial bombardment. The two full-backs looked the part as well, with both Preston and Marsh in no-nonsense mood, prompting attacks when they could, or finding touch when danger lurked.

Apart from the long hopeful ball, the only other blunt instrument in Sporting’s armoury was the long throw, with their right-back boasting a prestigious hurl. Logica had managed to deal with this threat with varying degrees of plausibility until tragedy struck on the hour mark. A mammoth throw from the right saw keeper Trovato advance boldly to claim the ball under pressure. A number of players had already turned to jog back as the Italian gloveman landed with a bump and looked on aghast as the ball squirmed from his grip. Some slapstick pin-ball in the box followed as again Logica missed chances to clear, before Brixton’s big centre half sliced the loose ball into the corner of the net from 8 yards [1-1].

But Logica were not deterred, and responded with more of the same and two excellent chances to take the lead. First a Reevaldo header fed Abbott who let the ball drop over his shoulder before the briefest of looks up. The keeper was off his line, and that means only one thing. The lob was seemingly judged to perfection as it sailed over the stranded Brixton number one, but just as the away supporters began to leap from their seats, the ball slapped back off the face of the bar and was scrambled to safety.

Fernando then created a great chance for himself. As a Logica attack was half-stopped, the midfielder latched onto the ball and glided through two defenders as if they weren’t there. But with the goal at his mercy from 12 yards, the Bobble Gods sprung into action, spooning the ball up onto the Logica player's shin as he executed what would otherwise have been a precise finish.

But the goal did finally arrive, even if it was executed in somewhat unorthodox fashion. A corner was won, and Reevaldo weighed up his options. The usual variations of short and long ball looked unpromising, so the maverick hole-man simply picked his spot at the near post. He curved an inch perfect ball over the defender at the near post and right into the top corner. A surprised keeper’s attempt to claw the ball away only ended up in pushing the ball further into the net, and Logica had regained a deserved lead [2-1].

There were just ten minutes left and Logica were intent on maintaining their lead. They defended with both fervour and cool heads, and looked equal to the task until another throw-in was conceded out on the left. This time the long ball was authoritatively headed clear, but once again the footballing powers-that-be decided to intervene in mischievous fashion. As Reevaldo latched onto the loose ball and prepared to break away, the Bobble Gods were once again in on the act, and ball bounced up at a mathematically impossible angle and struck Logica’s second goalscorer on the arm.

The referee had no hesitation in awarding a free-kick just outside the box, and the visitor’s lined up a five-man wall as nerves jangled. Abbott had the bright idea of deploying a tall man on the end of the wall in the shape of Lurker, but unfortunately Brixton’s big stopper curled his shot low, about waste-high. What Logica really needed was a fat man on the end of the wall, as the ball inched around the wall and bounced goalwards. Trovato was unsighted until the last minute, and his desperate dive only enabled half a hand to reach the ball, insufficient to stop it crossing the line in apparent slow-motion [2-2].

Logica made a bold attempt to grab a third goal and the win their performance merited, but in truth time was against them. Melville came closest, sprinting clear in the inside left channel before firing a low shot across the face of the goal but just too far in front of the onrushing Fazel at the back stick.

And so lightning had struck twice, as once more Logica had contrived to hand Sporting a late equaliser when three points seemed safely in the bag. The players trudged back disconsolately to the changing rooms under a dark cloud, but in reality there were many positives to take out of this game. If this level of performance can be sustained in the new year, then further wins should not be too far away.