Atlas may have had the strength to hold up the heavens according to Greek mythology, but his Lions were unable to hold up the rampant away form of ’s tigers, as Logica made it three wins out of three on their travels this season.

As predicted, the statistical pendulum duly swung back a full 180 after last week’s home defeat to West Six, and despite putting in a display that was patchy in places, Logica had enough quality in their ranks to edge a tightly contested match. The defensive attributes of the team were once again collectively to the fore, as Logica had to display a strong resilience at times to tame the dangerous Lions.

The morning did not start well for the visitors, with the news that was feeling more unwell than usual, and consequently the match-day management would be left in the Houllieresque hands of . More bad tidings came in the form of an eleventh hour withdrawal by , with the somewhat flimsy excuse that he had to go to work. What is the world coming to when the company’s priorities are so badly awry? However, this blow was softened with the return of from his swimming injury, his back having recovered sufficiently for the Italian libero to brave the ebb and flow of Logica’s promotion challenge.

As in the same stadium four weeks ago against the Dragons [What is this sudden animal fetish in club names? Lions, Tigers, Eagles, Dragons!? Perhaps we should re-christen ourselves the Logica Lemmings to reflect our predilection for a rapid descent?], a conscious attempt to grab the initiative early doors ultimately proved the winning gambit. From front to back, Logica harried and hustled, forcing the Lions into frequent mistakes that often led to a goal-scoring chance. Two such were taken early doors, providing a cushion that would prove too steep a mountain even for Atlas to climb.

On the quarter-hour, once again rose imperiously just inside the Lions’ half to head down to the marauding . The midfielder pushed the ball forwards in the rough direction of , but, aware that he was offside, the striker simply continued a sideways amble away from the ball that shrewdly ensured he was not interfering with play. Whilst the Atlas defenders seemed completely bewildered by this ploy, showed no such hesitation, and quickly pursued his own pass to execute the most exquisite of lobs over the stranded Lions keeper and give Logica a well-deserved lead [1-0].

It was not before the visitors were two up. took on his marker down the left flank and won a corner which arrowed in dangerously. The Atlas gloveman was tempted from his line, but mis-timed his punch completely. The sliced ball bounced square in the six yard box, and it was who pounced to tuck it home from close range [2-0].

Logica had spurned other opportunities. had robbed a dallying defender and strode clear only to find himself caught in three minds – pass, lob or shoot low and hard. The predictable attempt at a lob dribbled pathetically across goal. had shown similar hunger to steal possession on the left flank near the bye-line, as well as the awareness to pull the ball back to . The ageing front-man turned and squared low to his strike partner in the six yard box, but unfortunately ’s swing was mis-timed, and the ball deflected backwards to whose effort was blocked.

As the half wore on, however, Logica began to look somewhat fatigued by their earlier energetic efforts, and the Lions were given more time and space in which to play. Some of their build-up play was neat and incisive, but too often it was spoiled (thankfully) by an overly greedy attempt to shoot from long distance, and was not called upon to extend himself too often. But with just minutes left before the interval, some rare defensive slackness was punished. Atlas were given too much space from a throw-in to line up a cross from the right, and then a Lion found himself unmarked at the far post and duly headed home, back across the Logica keeper [1-2].

Logica attempted to regain the initiative at the start of the second half, and were reasonably successful. The home side enjoyed the Lions’ share of possession [cue cymbal crash], but the visitors posed a regular threat on the break. Substitute was brought into the fray, returning after three games out with a pulled hamstring, and ironically it was the oldest twanger in town, Abbott, who pulled himself off to make way. Fortunately, the side-lined stand-in Supremo showed some indecision over his next tactical masterstroke, and thus when ’s hamstring went again inside ten minutes, the Supremoette still had one last substitute up his sleeve.

Atlas probably failed to appreciate the pertinence of the coincidence, but it was in fact the Greek philosopher Plato in his classic best-seller ‘Republic’, who originally coined the cliché that necessity is the mother of invention. With forced to deploy further forward than the midfield role he had been mulling over, the increasingly reliable ‘super-sub’ trotted into the arena and set about winning the battle.

Buoyed by his emphatic Man of the Match Award last week, had already made a number of promising forays into enemy territory when he sensed some more dalliance in the Lions back line. Within a trice he had closed down the man in possession, forcing a hurried clearance. But there was no way past the great man’s belly. Cushioning the rebound forwards, the Logica man was faster to the ball, pushing it past, and simultaneously hurdling, the somewhat slovenly Atlas keeper before skilfully firing home from a difficult angle [3-1]. Unfortunately, for once was not around with his clinical camerawork, or the caption would surely have read: “The quick Silver Fox Brown jumps over the lazy Lion.”

Logica once again had a two-goal lead to defend, and applied themselves with determination to the task. They defended stoutly, with newly crowned Double Player of the Year once again heroic, and more surprisingly keeping a full set of limbs in tact. As the visitors tired, the resistance became a little ragged, and Atlas carved out some half-chances in between the increasingly leaden footedly hoofed clearances. A corner was headed wide, and another cross was headed over, before the Lions did pull a goal back with ten minutes remaining. Again there was too much time and space to cross, and the dangerous ball was glanced on to an unmarked Lion at the back stick, who made no mistake with his low shot [3-2].

Atlas strove hard to snatch a point, but Logica showed character to hold on. There was only one real scare when a Lion fizzed in a dangerous shot from just outside the box which bounced viciously on the skiddy surface just in front of keeper . But was equal to the task, and dexterously parried away the ball at full stretch to round off a fine morning’s work, both from him and the team as a whole. If Logica could only solve the perplexing conundrum as to how to win at home, promotion would be as good as in the bag.