Late Buckle Goal Steals the Points
Jets 1 Harefield Utd 2
Spartan South Midlands Premier
2nd March 2010
Jets will feel more than little aggrieved to have lost to local arch rivals Harefield United on Tuesday after falling to a stoppage time goal from BUCKLE when everybody in the ground waited for the assistant’s offside flag.
Jets boss Benny Higham decided to rest players and pre-arranged substitutions with Thursdays Floodlight Cup Quarter Final in mind, in a clear indication now the silly season fixture list has arrived with three first team and two reserve team games every week, that games will be rotated and prioritised.
The first half was typical of the local derby’s between the two sides; tense, scrappy and niggly both ways. Harefield had ex-Jets Paul Haynes and Warren Gladdy in the line up and the mix of Oakview and St Joe’s Sunday loyalties seem to add to the spice.
Jets can only blame themselves for the defeat as three glorious chances were missed in the first half when Jets clearly had the edge. Luke Beardsworth went through but was denied by a good save from the keeper, then Lee Armitt went clear and drew the keeper, but chose to go alone instead of the easy option with Beardsworth clear and square calling for the easy ball. Wayne Gladdy completed the misses with a good intricate run, but blazed high over the bar when the goal looked on.
The second half, again tense and getting more touchy, was edged more in Harefield’s favour as far as possession goes, but there were decisions that angered Jets players and staff and luck seemed to go with the Hares.
A clever lob seemingly put Armitt and Beardsworth clear, but Alex Brown caught the ball and only collected a yellow for his trouble and a free kick for Jets just outside the box.
Then, on 68 mins, LEE ARMITT cut through the middle and slotted to put Jets a goal up. This was short lived though and Steve Brown was penalised for a block on the edge of the box and TOTTEN curled a peach into the top corner just a minute later.
Jets withdrew both Lee Armitt and Wayne Gladdy for Thursday and the game seemed to have run its course towards a deserved draw for both teams.
Then, deep into added time, Nathan Roberts lost possession in midfield and the ball was swiftly driven forward, but the slot through was clearly offside and everyone waited the flag, that under the present FA system this season seems to have more delays than British Rail, but this time the flag never came and the square ball was a simple tap in for Buckle after ‘keeper Sam Styles hesitated, came and stopped, and was stranded in no-mans land, and the game was lost.
Jets were denied by a tight decision at the other end in the seconds that remained of the stoppage time, when Jets appeared to have sprung the offside trap, this time the late, late delayed flag did go up and the game was over.
