Beardo Seals the FA Cup Winner
Jets 3 Hatfield Town 2
F.A. Cup Exta Preliminary Round
14 August 2010
Luke Beardsworth played his first game of any description of the season and chipped a super winner in his FA Cup Debut, as Jets stormed back from two down to win this thriller 3-2 at the Boundary Stadium.
Jets really looked dead and buried after just eleven minutes during which time CARL WEBB (7min) and MATT STANDEN (11 min) had eased Hatfield Town into a match winning position.
Jets manager Benny Higham had reshuffled his team after a bad first week, and the return of last season’s first team top scorer Luke Beardsworth, along with Ian Bywater and Nathan Roberts, was a massive boost.
The two teams took off on a flyer with both sides wobbling at the rear, and looking classy on the attack, but Jets were missing target on good opportunities and Hatfield were putting them away with clinical style.
The turning point for Jets was in the 16th min when TIM O’MARA lobbed the keeper from the edge of the box, but the relief was evident as the ball hit the foot of the post, but the defenders desperate attempts to clear got under foot and watched in despair as the ball rolled over the line and Jets were back in the game.
Nobody clearly expects to progress far in this competition, but the FA Cup brings out a magic day, one of full bloodied commitment from everybody and it always feels special. This one was in the first half as it went from end to end and both teams looked as if they would score a hatful. Misses, however, were in abundance and the ‘keepers were also at full throttle and the break came with Htfield still 2-1 ahead.
Jets came at Town from the off in the second half, and the game got tense and touchy as both teams were fully committed. The problem was neither could get the final break, and both had good penalty appeals turned down.
In the heat of the game yellow cards were shown to players from both teams as the contact grew, and two officials were ordered from the Town bench as things became more heated.
Lee Grace then provided the perfect cross for TIM O’MARA to head home a glorious goal to tie things up at 2-2 (63min).
Now it was Jets pushing with their tails up, and the new triangle of O’Mara, Beardsworth and Alexander was proving a real handful.
Beardsworth fell in the box and Jets were stunned by the “play on” from the referee, and minutes later Town were equally incensed by the same at the other end. The game was now getting tough and the officials struggling to hang onto this fully committed tie.
Jets had the fairytale ending when man of the match Ben Alexander attacked strongly then fooled the Town defence by hitting the perfect cross to LUKE BEARDSWORTH who provided an exquisite chip over the advancing ‘keeper and high into the net for the winner, and Jets went wild.
The seven plus minutes of stoppage time were wild and it was end to end, with player throwing anything between the ball and goal to defend their lines, but the final second provided more reaction as Town appealed for hands against Wayne Gladdy. The referee turned it down and blew the final whistle much to Jets relief and delight.
Both teams had their chances to win the game, but it is the Jets who progress and now meet St Margaretsbury at home in two weeks time, with the prize for the winners of that tie being a big trip to AFC Hornchurch.
After two league defeats, this one was a major lift for the Jets changing room after an unhappy first week.
