Jets Storm Back for Cup Win
Jets 4 St Margaretsbury 1
F.A. Cup Preliminary Round
28 August 2010
After two confidence sapping league defeats in the last week, Jets turned to the F.A. Cup to get their season back on track. They faced a St Margaretsbury side that had made an almost identical start to their season as Jets, losing all their 5 opening league games but winning their previous F.A. Cup tie.
After a shaky start, Jets powered back from a goal down in the magical (and financially beneficial) FA Cup competition to win, in the end, convincingly by four goals to one.
Jets will not be pleased, however, with their first half performance but the turn around in the second was massive as they powered back from St Margaretsbury’s 18th minute strike to earn a prized trip to AFC Hornchurch from the Rymans Premier League.
Manager Benny Higham shook up the team who were lacking in confidence by recalling Ben Alexander, Skipper Chris Ingham and Wayne Gladdy to the starting line-up, and adding striker Lee Armitt, coming back from injury, to the bench.
St Margaretsbury opened the scoring when Anthony Shepherd gave away a clumsy free-kick on the edge of the area and the resulting shot from Ted Clark was nudged over the line off skipper Chris Ingham.
Jets really were poor at this stage but the lifeline came just minutes from the break when Wayne Gladdy jinked and curved a way through the midfield and rolled a sweet ball to BEN ALEXANDER who turned on a sixpence and slotted home to tie up the game.
Jets only other chance of the first half fell to Adam Lowton who was put in by Ben, but the ball skidded away under foot and the chance was lost.
The second half saw Anthony Shepherd replaced by youthful prospect Lewis Putman for his FA Cup debut, and, along with the introduction of Striker Lee Armitt, the Jets structure changed to a more attacking role.
This paid immediate dividends when Wayne Gladdy again opened the Saints’ defence and this time his inch perfect pass was hit low into the net by LEE ARMITT to put Jets in front.
Five minutes later BEN ALEXANDER cracked in from the edge of the box to give Jets clear air in the tie.
Bury did rally but man of the match Steve Brown and Spencer Bellotti were now winning the back line tackles and skipper Chris Ingham was mopping up the rear line and Jets looked comfortable.
LEE ARMITT ended all smiles when he started and finished Jets fourth goal, lobbing the ‘keeper gracefully to earn a good win for Jets in what has been an uncomfortable start to the season for Jets.
IF ONLY cup results could be turned into league points!!
