Jets fume over late equaliser

Crawley Green 2 Jets 2

Spartan Reserves Division One
22nd November 2009

Travelling away to Crawley Green for an early kick off to a pitch which was know to be of poor quality and with a slightly depleted squad, this promised to be a hard afternoon, but developed into one which will be remembered for a long time, and all for the wrong reasons.

The Jets made a perfect start as they welcomed back to the fold the speed and power of
Lee Armitt, and it was he who, in the 2nd minute broke on the right and after taking on several players worked his way into the right corner and into what would appear to be an impossible angle, but his shot was to enter the net in the top left corner, giving the Jets the early lead of 0-1.

The Crawley Green response was immediate when in the 5th minute they pushed into the Jets goal area and after a scramble the ball came lose to find the opportunity for a Crawley Green player to almost stroll into action and almost apologetically push the ball across the line to level the score at 1-1.

The Jets kept up the pressure seeking to regain the lead with once again Lee Armitt making several shots on the Crawley Green goal, but some fine saves from the keeper were to hold the score level. With the Jets now making their presence felt with some short play football there appeared to be more and more very doubtful decisions being made against them.

With the break now in sight the Jets determination was to pay, when in the 43rd minute a high ball was sent into the Crawley Green half by Michael Wyatt which found Lee Armitt waiting to collect, and as he turned goal bound found the keeper advancing, but in a one to one situation there was only one winner as the ball was stroked into the open goal mouth, the Jets ahead once again at 1-2. and the break reached at that score.

The second half was to develop into a complete nightmare as some poor decisions were made, most of which were against the Jets. The game dragged on and with approximately twenty minutes still to play the weather closed in, with not just rain, but the light deteriorated to make conditions extremely dangerous for players, and the ball very hard to see. In these conditions, even the 1pm kick off looked a little late, but the game went on and the game entered the final stage and three points looked heading back to Oxhey.

In the 84th minute Crawley Green were to enter the Jets goal area, in the scuffle a Crawley Green player was seen to go down on his knees, play was allowed to continue by the referee. The ball came clear and was pounced on by a Crawley Green player, who sent a powerful shot through several players which included his own player, who was still on his knees in the Jets goal area and clearly in a off side position, as the referee had allowed play to continue, and obstructing the Jets keeper to make any type of save. In amazement to all on the Jets bench and players the goal was allowed to stand and points were shared at 2-2.

Substitutes used: Steve King and Matt Deamer

Man of the match: Michael Wyatt