Frustrated Jets go out of the F.A. Cup
Jets 0 Brimsdown Rovers 1
F.A. Cup - Extra Preliminary Round
15th August 2009
Jets fell at the first hurdle in the FA Cup for the first time in five years when they lost 0-1 at home to Brimsdown Rovers. Jets really cannot seem to get a break at the moment having had so many chances in the last three games, their constant failure to put the chances away is costing them badly.
In a fairly even first period it was Jets who missed the golden chance to open the scoring when Chris Harding had a long range shot come back out off the crossbar with the keeper beaten, the rebound fell to Tim O'Mara on the six yard box, O'Mara 's initial shot was saved by the keeper but then it fell back to O'Mara with the keeper flat out but somehow he shot wide of the mark to the disbelief of all looking on. O'Mara is looking like a striker who badly needs a goal to restore his confidence.
The next chance came to O'Mara's striking partner, Spencer Bellotti, who was making his debut in the FA Cup. Bellotti turned onto a long ball and tried a cheeky lob that went inches over the bar. Jets pushed and Bellotti was unlucky when his slot was cleared off the line withJets players howling for the goal.
Brimsdown seemed content to ride the storm, but Jamie Parsons was outstanding killing off the rare attacks. Brimsdown should have scored in the 38th min when they broke three-on-one but the final ball was scuffed to let Jets off the hook, Jets' luck, however, ran out deep into stoppage time when, from a free-kick on the edge of the box, Joe Marsh made a diving save to turn the shot onto the crossbar, but the rebound was slotted with the Jets defence sound asleep and not moving. Half Time 0-1
The early indications in the second half were that Jets were not responding and Brimsdown were getting more confident as Jets front two were starved of supply from the static midfield and poor distribution across the park. A double substitution saw Jets swing back into the game and in a hectic last twenty minutes Brimsdown held on desperately. Jets attacked and attacked but the bar and saves all across the goal again denied Jets a deserved replay. On the break, Joe Marsh, who, like Bellotti, was making his debut in the F.A. Cup, pulled off a super save from a header turning what would have been the killer goal onto the crossbar.
In the dramatic last ten minutes three were cautioned and Brimsdown went down to ten men with a horror tackle on Chris Ingham, but all the huff and puff failed to get Jets on the score sheet, and, in honest reflection, the end result was the same story for the last three games - some good possession but a combination of switching off at the back, a failure to open up the opposition in midfield, and an inabilty to finish off the chances that did come Jets way - leaves Jets frustrated that they are not turning their potential into results.
Jets Man of the Match was Jamie Parsons for his solid work in defence.
