After last week's gentle Balls Reunited exercise (we wish we had a pound for every Logica player who "had not kicked a ball since the World Cup"), had arranged a far stiffer test for the next stage in his masterplan to hit the Division Two ground running with a well-oiled and fully fit footballing machine. Kensington Athletic are precariously perched two rungs higher up the Sportsmans League ladder, plying their trade in the Senior Amateur Reserve Division. Although they finished bottom last season, they managed to avoid relegation and have kept their place in the League's second tier.

Predictably, many of the Logica stars had carefully planned their holidays to coincide with the intensive pre-season fitness programme, and was only able to assemble a bare XI, including mate . But it was still a line-up packed with quality, and there was much excitement in the press-box before the game at the appearance of name on the team-sheet, proving that rumours of the experienced defender's retirement from domestic football were somewhat premature.

The game kicked off in the late summer sunshine at the South Park stadium with many of the Logica players seemingly still admiring their brand new away kit, a natty affair in royal blue with yellow trim. Kensington were consequently free to build a succession of attacks at their leisure, although was only called upon to make one save of note from a long-range effort.

Slowly Logica got into the swing of things, and the passing began to take some shape. The home side were employing a relentless offside trap, and it took Logica some time to adapt. was the victim of a number of marginal decisions from the Athletic substitute standing in as referee, before a return pass from sent the pacey striker clear in the inside-left channel. But 's shot from a difficult angle was comfortably saved.

Increasing Logica pressure forced a number of corners, all viciously swung in by the deadly left boot of . One such kick was only half-cleared to just outside the box, and he looked up before slipping a neat ball into the feet of . The ageing striker spun quickly and poked a shot towards the near post which the keeper could only parry. It was the ever-alert who was thinking one step ahead of everyone else, and his anticipatory follow-up allowed him to easily turn the rebound past the prostrate number one [1-0].

Kensington were stung into action and the rest of the half was played largely in Logica territory. Some well-worked moves stretched the visiting defence, and it was only some excellent last-ditch tackles and hooked clearances that kept the slender lead in tact. Athletic game closest from a corner, when an unmarked player headed precisely between keeper , and , only to see in the right place to clear off the line. Logica occasionally threatened on the break, most notably when delivered a visionary 48-yard long pass as the interval approached. took the high ball deftly in his stride, and as three Athletes converged, he lifted it delicately over the advancing keeper but unfortunately also wide of the post.

The second half began with Logica looking somewhat short of match fitness. Switching to three up front, the visitors suddenly looked short of any midfield link-up and were unable to maintain any possession. As each attack was repelled, Kensington would pick up the cleared ball and start again. The home side worked some good positions, but a combination of good defending and indecisive shooting meant there were few scares. Then, decidedly against the run of play, Logica added a second in no-nonsense fashion. hoisted a long clearance and leaped highest to flick it on. had anticipated, and his sharp pace enabled him to just get a toe to the ball first, pushing it past the Kensington keeper so that he could run on and wallop it joyously into the empty net [2-0].

The goal galvanised the Logica players, whose energy miraculously returned. The visitors began to dominate with some neat and incisive football that was regularly at the heart of. It was the midfielder whose pass freed to flash a shot across goal, and again who fed on the left, the striker's cross to the far post so close to enabling to head a third.

Kensington still posed a threat, and had to pull off a brilliant point-blank block when an Athletic striker was free to pick his spot from close range. The finely-chiselled angles of the head also caused a few jitters when he randomly deflected a lofted ball over his own bar. But Kensington finally pulled a goal back from another corner as the Logica defenders played musical statues, attempt to clear a goal-bound shot only hoiking it into the roof of his own net [2-1].

Logica's lead looked perilous for a period after this until they reclaimed their two goal advantage with the move of the game. It started deep in their own half, as fed the ball wide to , who had dropped into a left-midfield role. made a diagonal burst further forwards, and the ball was slipped quickly into his path. Turning inside his man, unselfishly rolled the ball back towards on the edge of the box. But remarkably had continued his run, and a loud shout left with little choice but to execute a neat dummy, the demanding forward latching onto the rolling ball to stroke it firmly just inside the far post from 15 yards [3-1].

The game was won, and both sides seemed happy to go through the motions in the closing minutes. appeared quietly satisfied at the final whistle, as he scampered off to put the finishing touches to his latest Promotion Roadmap. But with two convincing victories gleaned from an unparalleled amount of pre-season preparation, Logica could at least look forward to facing Lansdown in their opening Division Two fixture with a certain amount of match fitness under their gradually loosening belts.