Eddie O'Connor 755

Congratulations to Eddie O'Connor who matched Bennie Higham's record 755 appearances total for the Club last Saturday.

NB: Next Website Update will be Sun 14th Feb due to holidays.

Tring Keep Their Title Hopes On Track

Jets 0 Tring Athletic 1

Spartan South Midlands Premier
6th February 2010

Jets suffered a 1-0 home defeat to second placed Tring Athletic in a game that was really an "After the lord mayors show" performance.

Tring and Jets will wonder how the double was done by Tring this season after Jets pushed hard for long periods without rewards.

Just two minutes into the game Lee Armitt went through on a Luke Beardsworth pass and streaked in on the Tring ‘keeper only to slot wide of the post, with a screaming Tim O'Mara at the back post waiting for the open goal square ball.

Minutes later Luke Beardsworth was the opener and Lee Armitt curled a nice ball goalwards but just over the bar.

The first twenty minutes were all Jets but the chances went begging and gradually Tring worked and worked to claw their way back into the game. The games between the two sides always seem to be close. Today it was Jets who were doing the pushing, although getting frustrated and worse as the game went on, against a Tring team that really "grafted a result out".

Tring’s winner was scored just a minute from the break when a perfect cross from the wing was headed in at the back post with a perfectly placed effort by an unmarked Ellis.

Jets had the ball in the net in the first half and twice in the second, with Lee Armitt each time being denied by the Assistant’s flag.

In fairness, Jets were less impressive in the second half and many players seemed to be struggling with the after effects of the heavy and tiring defeat at Conference leaders Stevenage on Wednesday Night.

Jets looked tired and ragged and were further weakened by late withdrawals by four players, so late replacements were scarce. The attitude of some after a defeat by a superior status side needs questioning, but Jets as a whole will need to do a lot better in midweek in the St Marys Cup semi-final against a resurgent Berkhamsted side if they want to avoid more disappointment against a team that has already won at the Jets this season in the South Midlands Cup.

Stevenage show their Ruthless Streak

Stevenage Borough 9 Jets 0

Herts Senior Cup - Quarter Final
3rd February 2010

Stevenage showed their ruthlessness tonight when, after being kept goal-less for just over half an hour, they scored three goals in the closing stages of the first half, and added a further six in the second half as they relentlessly attacked the Jets goal.

Stevenage, currently leading the Football Conference and in the Quarter-Finals of this year's F.A. Trophy (as well as being the current F.A. Trophy holders) and a full 5 levels above Jets in the football pyramid, showed their respect for the Herts Senior Cup competition and to Jets by fielding a very strong team for this quarter final tie. Borough's leading goalscorers this season, Charlie Griffin. Yemi Odubade and Lee Boylan all started as did their latest signing Tim Sills, who joined them from Torquay United in mid-January and who has been a prolific goalscorer throughout his career, most famously with his goal in last year's Conference play-off final that sent Torquay United back into the Football League.

Despite the final scoreline, Jets started the game pretty well and deserved to at least still be level at the half hour point. In fact, Jets created some good chances and could easily have taken the lead. After 5 minutes Luke Beardsworth provided a through ball under pressure that gave Lee Armitt a one-on-one opportunity which Lee fired narrowly wide.

Jets then had their best spell. Luke Beardsworth went close himself with a header on 20 minutes and then had a terrific shot that needed the Borough 'keeper to be at full stretch to turn it over the bar for a corner. Jets then went close with a header from the corner. Jets were pushing and there was a feeling that they could grab the lead here. Then, on 32 minutes, Lee Armitt made a great run down the line and cut inside before sending in a deadly cross which was just cleared by the Borough defence.

That, however, was as good as it got for Jets and Borough's superior quality showed through with the first of their goals coming, against the run of play, in the 35th minute when Yemi Odubade fired in a curling shot into the corner of the Jets goal. New signing Tim Sills added the second four minutes later with a low shot into the bottom corner and then Jets first half work was completely undone when Stevenage were given a fairly soft penalty when Jets 'keeper Sam Styles brought down Charlie Griffin and Lee Boylan converted from the spot. HT 3-0 Stevenage.

Jets substituted Tim O'Mara and Spencer Bellotti for Wayne Gladdy and Lee Inch at the start of the second half. This was a pre-planned substitution to give as many Jets players as possible the experience of playing in this game.

Stevenage upped their game in the second half, and showed a level of performance and ruthlessness that has taken them to the top of the Conference in recent weeks. They made it four in the 46th minute with a well worked corner. The cross went to the far post before being headed back across goal and finished off by leading scorer Charlie Griffin.

The second half proved to be a personal goal-fest for Griffin as he score five of Borough's six second half goals. After Ronnie Vincenti scored their fifth on the hour with a finish on the volley after a great cross in, Charlie Griffin added the remainder in the 62nd, 77th, 80th and 84th minutes, a combination of goalmouth scrambles and good finishing shots.

For Borough, a very comfortable victory in the end after a challenging first half an hour. For Jets, it is important not to forget the great results we achieved to get this far, and there is a lot to learn not only from the quality and fitness of the Stevenage team but also from their lack of concessions and what was an admirable ruthlessness.

If Stevenage field a team of this quality for the remainder of the competition then they must be very, very strong favourites to retain the trophy.

Jets team: Styles, Bywater, Grace, Brown, Ingham, Harding, L.Inch, Roberts, Gladdy, Armitt, Beardsworth. Subs Used: O'Mara, Bellotti. Subs not used: O.Deamer, Wyatt, Duce.

Stevenage Borough Website Match Report

Stevenage Comet Newspaper Report

Jets Reserves get the double over Town

 

Jets Reserves 3 Hoddesdon Town Reserves 1

Spartan Reserves Division One
30th January 2010

It was back to league business for the Jets as they welcomed their close league rivals Hoddesdon Town to the Boundary Stadium.

The game set off, in what has been the form for the Jets, that is in an attacking mood and they were soon to put the Hodddesdon defence to the test as they made some fine runs from both flanks and spent most of the first ten minutes in their opponents half. As the Hoddesdon side began to settle the play was to be a hard fought game in the centre third as both sides endeavoured to make the break in the score, which was to change in the 35th minute when Adam Lowton was to set the pace on the left with space to send a head high cross to the centre, and head high it was as Ian Holdom was to make the connection and send a powerful header in the Hoddesdon net and open the score for the Jets at 1-0

The Jets were now in full control and wasted no time to double their tally, as in the 38th minute a run by Owen Deamer was to see the ball strike the Hoddesdon bar, only to see it rebound to the feet of the oncoming Karl Bull who had all the time in the world to send a shot over the line with the keeper flat footed and the score advanced to 2-0 which was to hold to the break.

The second half was to find the game end to end with both squads holding their own and giving very little ground in their own thirds. With the time closing in on the game, it was in the 72nd minute that the Jets were awarded a corner on the right which when taken entered a crowded Hoddesdon six yard area, there followed a frantic scuffle, but out of the crowd it was Anthony Shepherd who punted the ball into the net from close range and the score moved on to 3-0.

Game set and match at that score with the watch reaching the ninety minutes, but a consolation goal was to come Hoddesdon’s way in the 91st minute as their final attack was to provide a hand ball in the Jets area. The resulting penalty was well converted to give a final score of 3-1 to bring a well-played fixture to a close.

Substitutes used: Jamie Prouten, Michael Bishop and Dean Seabrook

Man of the match: Ian Holdom

Hard fought cup win sets up clash with Cheshunt

 

St Margaretsbury 1 Jets 2

South Midlands Floodlight Cup
28th January 2010

Jets returned from the long midweek journey to St Margaretsbury in the Spartan South Midlands Floodlight Cup with a rare win at one of Jets unlucky hunting grounds.

The game was no sparkler and the pouring rain on a difficult pitch was difficult for both sets of players. Jets were forced to re-shuffle before the game, when, already without Tim O’Mara, manager Benny Higham had to make another change when Nathan Roberts went to Bishop Stortford’s ground by mistake and missed the game.

Benny Higham gambled on the return in midfield for the young striker Spencer Bellotti from a long injury spell, and was rewarded with a performance that saw him edged out of the man of the match award only by a magnificent last ten minutes by the reliable “War Horse” Chris Harding.

Jets were led in midfield by the oldest player in the team on the night, Wayne Gladdy as Jets new youthful team were forced to grind out a hard work result.  For the third time in the week Jets were forced to battle back from a goal down after Chris Ingham clearly handled in the area and Joe Rudkin (22min) converted high into the net, leaving Jets keeper Sam Styles with no hope.

Jets were scrappy but gradually they edged back into the game and chances fell to Armitt and Beardsworth but both were denied, but with the break looming and the game well into stoppage time a cross ball from Lee Grace, following an outstanding “advantage” by referee Lindsay Szulc after a foul on Lee Inch, was turned in at the back post by Lee Armitt (45+2) to tie up 1-1 at the break.

The second half was Jets for the early running and you had the feeling it was coming, then referee Szulc again played the perfect “play on advantage” after an offside by St Margaretsbury saw Gladdy hunt down the ball and roll to Spencer Bellotti who needle threaded the ball to his old Queen’s school academy partner Luke Beardsworth who delightfully chipped over the keeper for the winner (63min). 

Jets had a few chances to tie things up but were denied by the Saints ‘keeper, and then in the final ten minutes Bury pressed hard and Jets keeper Sam Styles pulled off three outstanding saves to help deny the home team. Jets Man of the Match Chris Harding was outstanding throughout but especially in the final moments, and helped Jets hold on for an excellent away win.

Jets will now be at home to Cheshunt (from the Rymans League Division 1 North) in the next round.