Another quite extraordinary performance took Logica's run of consecutive victories to two games, but more importantly this win against a very good Cardinal side boosted Logica's confidence and proved that they can, given this level of application, skill and hard-work every week, live with the better teams in their new league. At this early stage, the view from the press-box must be that the change of league has been a big success for Logica. All concerned seem to be enjoying the games far more, showing greater commitment to the team, and to a man producing better and better performances with each week that passes. In short every player is raising their game to meet the standards of the new league.

This game also saw a managerial first. Captain Clarke was able to name an unchanged team, despite the availability of Millar, Hamid, Toman and Sidaway. The interpretation must be that this was a very justified reward for an entire team who played superbly the week before, and shows reverence to the cliché that one "never changes a winning team". And indeed this approach paid dividends as Logica collected another two points.

Having met somewhere just south of the London A-Z, and with Lambert arriving with just seconds to spare before kick-off, Logica showed their usual lethargic early-morning start. It was immediately clear that our theological opposition were a far better side than the competent North End team we defeated the week before, and indeed the home side had most of the possession early on. However, when Cardinal did open the scoring there was absolutely nothing that Logica could have done about it. A second consecutive corner floated to the near post was strongly headed away by Clarke. The ball returned to the ecclesiastical corner- taker who hit a first-time cross-cum-shot which curled over Wildsmith and finished so perfectly just inside bar and post that one could not help but suspect devine intervention. If this was the case, then within a few minutes there was a second coming. A break by Cardinal down the right culminated in a cross which beat everyone, but an ageing holy striker did not give up on this lost cause, reached the bouncing ball first and hooked in another cross back over his shoulder. This ball could only be partially cleared, and an unmarked papal midfielder was able to loop a first-time header over the stranded Wildsmith.

It seems to always take a while to get the Logica machine rolling these days, but this week it was the sting of conceding two early goals that brought them to life. The heart shown in the last two games again became evident as Woolhouse and Masting in particular began to win tackles and play sensible passes that retained possession. The 'new' pairing of Abbott and Spence up front both made intelligent runs, and the Scotsman especially returned to top form with non-stop unselfish running off the ball to try and help out the man in possession. Chances began to be chiselled out. Although long-range efforts from Spence and Woolhouse didn't cause the Cardinal keeper much anxiety, a blistering drive from Masting certainly did, but a sharp dive enabled the saver to become saviour as a finger-tip deflection resulted in only a corner. Still Logica employed some very effective near-post corners as Woolhouse picked out Abbott twice in that position. The first was glanced right across the six- yard box but nobody was able to employ a finishing touch; the second looped less dangerously over everybody. Still Cardinal created trouble for Logica at the back, and the defenders had to be very quick-witted and strong in the tackle to outwit some monkish attacking. Dick once more orchestrated the resistance intelligently from the back, and Read and Clarke were terrier-like in their man-marking roles.

Logica got a foot-hold back into the game in rather fortunate fashion. A long free-kick from Read was met unchallenged in the penalty area by a defending midfielder, but a poorly judged leap resulted in this Cardinal sinner lifting a backwards header over his own goalkeeper and in off the bar. This was the spur that Logica needed and they now attacked with far more conviction. The closest they came to an equaliser was after a good interchange between Spence and Abbott enabled the latter to round two of the higher ordination defenders and whip a cross beyond the keeper, but as Woolhouse closed for a certain goal, the cross was deflected by the far post and cleared. The home-side created as many chances, and two Cardinal canons required full-length flying saves by regular hero Wildsmith to keep the deficit at one.

With two minutes to go to half-time, the experienced Read, who had earlier turned an ankle, could continue no longer and was replaced by substitute Millar. This unfortunate loss could have been disastrous due to Millar's unfamiliarity with the centre-back role, but as the second half rolled on, Logica's answer to Alexei Lalas adapted well into his new role, and his outstanding tackles thwarted a number of Cardinal raids. Logica as a whole seemed to have more belief in victory after the break. Spence was the key man, providing an effective link with midfield, holding the ball up well, and, due to accurate and intelligent passing, rarely gave the ball away. Briefly it was all Logica as Woolhouse and Hatton had half-chances with long-distance shots. The best chance came as Lambert burst clear in his typical fashion, rounded a helpless keeper and rolled the ball goalwards. But dramatically the heavens opened and from nowhere a Cardinal defender appeared and miraculously hooked the ball clear just as it was about to cross the line. But it was Spence's alertness which finally brought the Lions of Logica an equaliser. Controlling a poor goal-kick in a trice, he bore down on goal drawing the keeper, before rolling a perfect pass square to the supporting Abbott who had the simplest of tasks to tap into an unguarded net.

Maybe the self-appointed ambassadors of the British software community were somewhat dazed by their suddenly achieved parity, for within a minute they were behind once more. A corner from the right dipped towards the near post. A positive, demanding screech of "KEEPER'S BALL!" from behind came a fraction too late for Captain Clarke, whose salmonic leap saw the faintest of deflections take the ball beyond the leaping Wildsmith and find Mr. Invisible guarding the far post.

For a while this instant response knocked the white and blues off balance. But after a brief-ish period of uncoordinated play, the Mighty Logica struck back themselves. Again it was Spence's quality control that was instrumental. He trapped a long kick by Wildsmith first time, and repeated his previous assist by squaring perfectly for his striking partner. This time though Abbott was twenty yards from goal with goalkeeper in place. What this situation obviously called for, was a delicate, instinctive lob, sliced off the outside of the right boot and which arced a perfect trajectory over apostolic goal-minder before dipping underneath the bar due to the extra addition of top-spin. And, lo and behold, that's exactly what Abbott decided to do, to make the score 3-3 with twenty minutes to go.

It had been about this stage in the previous three games that Logica began to tire. But not this time, as match fitness made a surprise visit to the team. The match did become a tad scrappy, and Cardinal became somewhat frustrated by not being able to dispose of what their supporters graciously referred to as "those lucky Logica barstards". A draw now seemed odds-on, as Logica's defence stood firm. Moore and Hatton, who were doing the critical 'wing-half' jobs to add width into the 3-5-2 formation, both had exceptional second halves. An effective offside trap caught a number of slow-thinking Cardinals with some regularity, and when said forwards ran at our last line directly, stout tackling was just the job, such as when libero Dick timed his robbing of a galloping pontiff to perfection before initiating a Logica attack with purposeful distribution.

Just as the mass of Logica fans began to look nervously at their watches wondering if the visitors could hold out for a draw, Spence conjured up a splendid goal to give Logica a memorable victory and leave the deacons feeling blue. Once more Spence's technical excellence made the goal possible with the now taken-for-granted instant control followed by a ball square to Abbott. Surrounded by Cardinal numbers, Abbott nevertheless managed to chip a pass over the back-pedalling last man which was taken perfectly in his stride by Spence so that he was able to round a flailing keeper and blast a left foot shot from the acutist of angles past two desperate defenders of the line. This was just reward for the hard-working and skilful Spence, and also gave Logica their second consecutive victory to move them up to an impressive fifth place in the table.