's men could only wonder at the excessively fine hospitality shown by the Victoria public house as they hobbled into the sun-drenched beer garden after their first tentative efforts at some pre-season fitness. Despite the unlikely scenario of inexplicably arranging this second annual Victoria Challenge match to finish before pub opening hours, each table was laid out with an ice-bucket packed full with bottles of Becks lager, whilst the tantalising smell of the barbecue being fired up was just as gratifying for Logica striker .

If that was not enough, there was also the huge big silver trophy presented to stand-in skipper by the Victoria's landlord as reward for Logica's victory, and the Man of the Match bottle of bubbly awarded by our opponents to for a fine all-round display capped by three goals from midfield. But as the brilliant midfielder had unfortunately departed a few minutes earlier, and there was no lid to put on his head, did the traditional cork-popping thing before filling the silver pot full of champers.

The Logica team were experiencing such unaccustomed celebrations due to them bagging the majority of the goals in a highly entertaining fourteen goal thriller against the Victoria Academicals. had assembled a squad of 14 in order to force as many of his charges as possible into taking some exercise before the new season starts in earnest in a fortnight's time, and regular rotation of the rusty Logica men was a not-insignificant contributor to victory against a bare Victorian XI in the blazing early-morning heat.

It was who had set the ball rolling early doors by clinically sweeping home a neat reversed lay-off from , who showed good support to his forwards throughout the morning [1-0]. When the provider turned scorer minutes later, intercepting a wayward pass to gallop forward and deftly lob Algerian gloveman from 25-yards [2-0], some feared the outcome was already decided. This was unfair, for Victoria had already posed some attacking problems of their own before they pulled a goal back on ten minutes. A swift break down the left saw a brilliant pass slipped inside last-man , and Victoria's Ronaldinho-alike striker beat keeper to the through-ball and slotted home [2-1].

As the rotation got under way, Logica struck back. 's pace was too much for the last Academical defender, whose last-ditch tackle was too late. , freshly released from between the sticks, converted the spot-kick emphatically [3-1]. But Victoria responded again, and after their neat build-up play had caused frequent chaos in the Logica rearguard, a loose ball was swept home from close range to reduce the deficit to one again [3-2].

As the interval approached, Logica found some attacking rhythm but missed a number of clear-cut chances whilst pulled off some brilliant saves before expertly volleyed home a difficult bouncing ball from twelve yards out [4-2]. This was just reward for the Welsh striker who produced a fine first half display, and who would have scored already had not fluffed a simple square pass with just the keeper to beat. Shortly afterwards, a quick free-kick caught the Victorian defence asleep and unsure whether to appeal for offside or try to save 's fierce shot, with the result that the keeper only ended up palming the ball into his own net [5-2].

The Academicals started the second period strongly, with handing the gloves to Callum "The Gaffer" O'Dowd before taking the latter's place in the centre of defence. Logica struggled to regain their pre-interval dominance, and when did manage to slalom through the Victorian rearguard, O'Dowd came out bravely to dive at the hole-merchant's feet and somehow save a certain goal, if at some painful cost to his knees. There was further hassle when the contrived to blaze over the bar from a few feet out, but in a similar break ten minutes into the half, sprung the offside trap and gave keeper O'Dowd no chance in a one-on-one [6-2].

This goal seemed to reinvigorate Logica and pep up their passing. had drifted out left and was found with a neat pass by . Darting past the full-back, he dribbled into the six-yard box before returning the compliment and enabling to convert his pull-back from close range [7-2]. The heat was causing the Victorian offside trap to crumble rapidly, and again breached the tiring white line to slot home his second [8-2]. similarly sprung the trap with a well-timed run from deep, and very unselfishly squared to amidst fruitless appeals for offside from the defenders [9-2].

To their credit, Victoria never threw in the towel and raised themselves for some late salvoes. After a concerted period of Victorian pressure, Logica failed to clear from a throw-in, and Ronaldinho pounced again to ruthlessly thrash home the loose ball from ten yards [9-3]. But the final few minutes saw the Academical offside trap sprung twice more. First burst from deep once more to finish clinically [10-3] before also completed a hat-trick after being picked out with a visionary pass from left-back [11-3].