Jets Sink Sun in Seasonal Opener

Jets 4 Sun Postal 0

Hertfordshire F.A. Charity Shield - Round 1
1st August 2009

Jets first competitive match of the season was against local rivals Sun Postal in the first round of the Charity Shield. The Jets side included new signings Sam Beasant, Spencer Bellotti, Matt Tyas, Paul Haynes and Jamie Parsons (pictured left), whilst the Sun side included ex Jets players Steve Noonan, Dean Collins and Matt Collins.

Jets came to the game after a successful pre-season including an excellent 3-2 midweek win over Wingate and Finchley. In fact, if anything, Jets had overplayed in the pre-season and there were some concerns that this might have worked against Jets today.

Those concerns proved groundless as Jets soon took full control of the game. Jets took the lead after only 5 minutes when Paul Haynes latched onto a through ball from Ian Bywater to strike home from within the box.

Jets continued to have most of the game during the early stages and on 12 minutes it needed the Sun goalkeeper to scramble the ball clear, after a good run from Lee Grace, to stop the score becoming 2-0.

Sun did, however, start to come into the game and they had their chances to equalise. First of all Leon Stewart had a chance but shot high over the bar on 25 minutes, and it then needed a fine save a minute later from Sam Beasant in the Jets goal, after Paul Haynes had made a mistake in the Jets defence.

Jets then made Sun pay by increasing the lead to 2-0 on 28 minutes. The ball ended in the back of the net from a Lee Grace corner, either being a Steve Noonan own goal or a touch by Ian Bywater.

Beasant again produced a super save on 33 minutes to keep the clean sheet. Jets then nearly extended their lead on 35 minutes but Ian Bywater headed wide with the goal at his mercy.

The next few minutes saw the same result with Beasant saving well yet again after a goalmouth scramble, and then Bywater heading over from a Lee Grace cross.

Jets then pressed home their advantage on 42 minutes when teenager Spencer Bellotti (following in his father’s footsteps as a goal-scorer for Jets) slotted home Jets third on his debut after some good passing play between the Jets attack. HT 3-0 Jets

Jets started the second half looking intent on adding to the score-line and created three good chances in the opening five minutes. First of all, a Grace cross was hit just over the Sun crossbar by Tim O’Mara; the Sun keeper then made a good save from Ian Bywater; and in the 50th minute Spencer Bellotti headed just wide.

Sun had a chance in the 55th minute but Sam Beasant was there again, this time to save from Leon Stewart. Then, just a minute later, Jets made it four when Paul Turner picked up a through ball from Lee Grace and made no mistake in shooting past the Sun ‘keeper.

Jets had a chance to make it five on the hour when Lee Grace was brought down in the penalty area, but the Sun ‘keeper saved Chris Ingham’s spot-kick.

After that, Jets seemed to settle for the 4-0 score-line and the final half an hour was played out at a canter.

A decent start for Jets where the difference between the Premier and Division One side was clear to see. Having said that, it needed a good performance from Sam Beasant in the Jets goal to keep a clean sheet and, importantly, to save two or three key efforts that Sun had to get back into the game when the score was only 1-0. Then again, Jets did ease up in the final part of the game rather than try to keep adding to the score and General Manager John Elliott was a little disappointed that Jets had not been more ruthless.

A good overall team performance with all the Jets newcomers, Beasant, Parsons, Tyas, Haynes and Bellotti playing well but the Jets Man of the Match goes to Lee Grace for his tireless performance and for the number of chances he created.

Jets are now at home to Met Police Bushey in the next round.