Saints survive Jets fightback
St Margaretsbury 2 Jets 0
Spartan South Midlands Premier
3rd October 2009
Jets were left totally fuming at the match official after losing 2-0 at bottom club St Margaretsbury. Jets were forced into making changes from the team that had won the last three games when Andrew Lomas (injured) and Adam Lowton (holiday) failed to make the team, but nobody was quite ready for the complete lacklustre performance that was to follow.
The first half was awful, on a dreadful surface in a gale force wind football was to be at a minimum, but all three teams were guilty of getting most things wrong, and the half ended with St Margaretsbury feeling aggrieved at not getting a penalty after a barge by Ian Bywater and Jets only effort coming from Luke Beardsworth, in a half ending nil goals, nil thrills.
The second half was marginally better, but not a lot, and a 1-0 to whoever could pass one decent ball looked on!! But, as it always seems in these situations, the luck was not with Jets and it was St Margaretsbury who had the fortunate breakthrough, the ball ending up in the back of the Jets net after a double deflection of a half shot rebounded in off Jets’ Steve Brown.
Jets pushed forward and the introduction of Lee Armitt made a difference as Jets went all out attack, but twice Armitt looked to have sprung the offside line but each time an assistants flag denied the calm finishes standing. Both looked good goals and Jets felt hard done by.
More frustration was to follow when Luke Beardsworth coolly bent home his shot from outside the box and the effort was again denied, a ridiculous decision against Ben Chandler a clear fifteen yards away and not involved in the action. So much for the forwards getting the advantage under the FA guidelines!!
The worst decision was to come as Lee Armitt went clear and was dragged down by the last defender for what looked a cast iron penalty, but the horror decision was, no penalty, Armitt fouled first, but Jets were given the corner?!?
Jets seemed to give in after that, one too many goal decisions going against them, drained of all effort and respect. To rub it in, Jets got into a tangle when the best two players Lee Grace and Steve Brown were caught by the wind and a cruel bounce of the ball and a Saints forward was on hand to tap over the line for a flattering 2-0 score line.
Jets were disappointed, and did not play to the level of their recent wins, particularly in the first half, but they looked to have done more than enough to have taken a point from the game, at the very least, with their second half display. On this day, however, it was clear where Jets’ pointed the finger of blame.
