Bellotti hat-trick denies Cuffley

Jets 5 Cuffley 3

Herts Intermediate Cup - 2nd Round
14th November 2009

Second round of the Herts Intermediate Cup playing hosts to Cuffley on a very wet and very windy afternoon. The question was, was there going to be a fresh outlook to the Jets side after a rather subdued performance of the previous game. With the start of the game it became evident that there was not, as both sides struggled against the high wind with high balls and passes that were not reaching their intended targets.

With neither side looking like scoring and against the run of play it was the Jets who were to make an opening when in the 22nd minute they were awarded a free kick on the edge of the Cuffley area and a floating ball was to find Chris Killer in a crowded box to find the net and open up the 1-0 lead for the Jets.

In the 33rd minute the Cuffley side were reduced to ten men, when a second booking was given a player for comments passed to his father in the stands?? The first half ground on until the break.

The second half was to produce some change in the score-line although the weather problems continued to restrict play as the first half. The Cuffley side were to make inroads into the Jets area and for the first time gave signs of danger for the Jets. One such attack in the 62nd minute saw a low powerful shot enter the Jets net and it was back to square one as the score levelled at 1-1.

In the 75th minute Cuffley were awarded a very, very dubious penalty, which was converted to give them the hope of a victory at 1-2 with just fifteen minutes left.

The Cuffley goal brought the inevitable change in the Jets side, and as has been seen so many times that once behind they find their brightest football and as the Cuffley bench began to talk of the win, the Jets were to bring them down to earth. In the 86th minute they were awarded a corner and this was met by a player on his debut appearance to the side Spencer Bellotti who made no mistake to level the score to 2-2 which brought the thought of extra time looming, and that is how it stood, as the referee’s whistle sounded.

From the start of extra time the Jets began to stamp their authority on the game and the ten man side of Cuffley began to take chances with tackles, which was to be a downfall for them as in the 11th minute a Jets attack was brought down in the area and a penalty awarded. The man to step up to the mark and convert was Spencer Bellotti to give the Jets the lead for the first time and to give him his brace at 3-2 and the first half of extra time was reached.

The second half of extra time was to see Cuffley fighting for survival as they pushed forward and put pressure on the Jets defence, but they held fast and in the 24th minute Jets found space on the right when a fine cross was to be collected by none other than Spencer Bellotti and the hat trick was competed and the score extended to 4-2 in the Jets favour, and it was now they who were looking at the win. However there was yet another moment of concern as in the 25th minute Cuffley broke from the restart and a run on the right found yet another low powerful shot enter the Jets net and changed the score to 4-3.

With just five minutes left, it looked game complete at this score line, but in the 29th minute of extra time the Jets were awarded a free kick on the edge of the Cuffley area and it was
Ryan Murray who was to place his name on the score sheet and bring a final score of 5-3 for the Jets.

Substitute used: David Maynard and Neil Whiting

Man of the match: Spencer Bellotti