There was much relief on Sunday when Logica awoke quickly from their initial nightmare on Broadway to slay the Dragons in workmanlike fashion. A second defeat would have had potentially serious psychological repercussions, but the players applied themselves impressively to deservedly pick up their first three points. Even if two of Logica’s goals had an element of fortune about them, there are few who could argue that Logica did not deserve victory on the balance of play and chances created.

Logica’s opponents had experienced an even worse start to the season, with 4-0 and 7-0 defeats leaving them firmly bottom of the pile early doors. They proved to be a team who liked to play their football, and some neat triangles at times threatened to cause Logica problems. But, somewhat ironically, the Dragons lacked any dangerous fire-power, which combined with a propensity to play their elaborate passing game around their own box, could well see them struggle in their first Sportsmans League season.

With some of the more provocative tabloid hacks trying to label this clash of Division Two’s bottom two a relegation six-pointer, returned to some basics to try and get his campaign back on track before too much damage was done. As well as the bonus of a full midfield quartet available for selection, also summoned his charges for an early meet to allow practice of some of the more fundamental footballing techniques so glaringly lacking the previous week.

To their credit, the players applied themselves assiduously to these passing and tackling exercises, and the benefits were clear in the first ten minutes. Logica looked sharp, were regularly first to the loose ball, as well as putting the home side quickly under pressure when they had possession. and added some poise and collective calm in the middle of the park, both opting to bring the ball down and pass rather than hoofing it back from whence it came. was also back, and like on the left, added pace, bite and menace down the flanks.

The early play was consequently all in the Dragons half, and the visitors had good chances to take the lead even before they did that very thing on the quarter-hour mark. The best of these early opportunities resulted from a flowing move that engineered some space for . The midfielder advanced purposefully before unleashing a vicious swerving shot that the home keeper could only parry. showed fine predatory instincts to anticipate the loose ball, twisting in mid-air to get good contact on a volley that flew just inches wide with the keeper still floored.

It was not long before Logica converted their dominance into a goal, however. Pressure won a throw-in close to the corner-flag, from which turned his marker with consummate ease. A quick look up was all that was required to spot ghosting in at the back stick, and a perfect lobbed cross found the Logica wide-man pouncing with an emphatic volley that gave the keeper no chance [1-0].

Having registered their first goal of the season, Logica took their collective foot off the pedal and allowed the Dragons to play a little. The neat passing triangles looked pretty, but there was little in the way of end result, with and in uncompromising form (even after the former once again hurt his shoulder in executing a particularly timely clearance). The home number 10 looked their most dangerous player, beating men both centrally and out wide, and indeed it was he who spurned the Dragons only real chance of the half. It was a simple long ball that caught the Logica rearguard dozing for once, but was quickly off his line and did enough to rush the Dragon into screwing his shot well wide.

This was the wake-up call Logica needed, and they began to reassert their authority. chased a header, skipping past two defenders down the left touchline before unselfishly pulling back for the to fire just wide from the edge of the box. But such neat build-up play was mocked by the manner in which Logica doubled their lead. Disciplined closing down regained possession and rolled a ball square to in the centre circle. The Norwich wide-man spotted a darting run into channel by , but over-hit his pass, and it was all the big centre-forward could do to arch his back and get a hopeful head on it. The ball looped goalwards, and as an uncertain Dragon keeper advanced nervously, the ball bounced up off the bobbly surface, over his head and just under the bar [2-0]. Even had the good grace to tone down his celebration in reverence to the Football Gods who are claiming the assist.

The second half saw the Dragons raise their tempo in a bid to get back into the match, moving their huge ball-playing centre half into a free role in the middle of the park. But the effect was negligible. The Logica back four dealt with all that was thrown at it, with and still in imperious form, whilst the midfield provided a fine protective cover in front.

Instead it was some neat and incisive passing football with which Logica created regular chances at the other end. pounced on a defensive blunder to burst clear, elaborately swivelling a full 360° to bamboozle the covering defender before firing a low shot that the keeper did well to save just inside the far post. Good build-ups saw first and then break away down the left only to have their crosses intercepted just as prepared to pounce, whilst a number of other good moves foundered as the final pass just failed to get through. fired a difficult bouncing volley just over, before won the ball in midfield and fed with a perfect slide rule pass, only for the striker’s powerful shot to be well saved at the near post.

As the half wore on, however, Logica inevitably tired in just their second competitive game of the season. As their attacking threat waned, so the Dragons saw an increasing amount of the ball. The defence stood firm, and the timely introductions of , and (who all impressed) injected some much needed fresh limbs into the fray. did far more in fact, scoring his first Logica goal to put the result beyond any remaining doubt, although there was once again some good fortune in the final strike. After combining intricately with , ran the ball towards the box. Pushing it a little too far in front of himself, he nonetheless showed the determination to get there before the defender, firing the ball against the Dragon’s outstretched boot and watching it loop once again over the helplessly back-peddling home keeper [3-0]

A couple of weariness-inspired pinball panics apart, Logica snuffed out any remaining Dragonal danger at source. And when a home forward did finally break clear, a brilliant one-on-one block from kept the sheet clean. But the assertive Logica keeper was ultimately denied a well-deserved blank when a similar break ten minutes from time saw a Dragons striker push the ball well past him, before falling in a theatrical heap. The referee adjudged there to have been contact, and with the forward later admitting that he "was looking for the penalty", nearly administered his own justice as he got a hand to the spot-kick but couldn’t quite keep it out [3-1].

Logica played out the final minutes without further fright, although it was an exhausted group of players that were relieved to hear the final whistle. and his men could take no little pride in the way they had bounced back from last week’s humiliation, and their willingness to concentrate on getting the basics right (closing down opponents and keeping possession) bodes well, and will hopefully provide the platform for further improvement.