New Boys make it tough for Jets

 

Jets 1 Risborough Rangers 0

Spartan Reserves Division One
13 September 2011

Jets faced league new boys  Risborough Rangers at the Boundary Stadium for the reserves first home game of the season.

From the start Jets got on the ball and moved it comfortably around the pitch leaving the Rangers team chasing the play. In the early exchanges it looked like Jets were in the mood and would go on to dominate the play, but once Rangers got hold of the ball they too showed that they had plenty to offer and came back at the Jets. Fortunately the Jets defence, marshalled by the captain John Danslow, were in a mean mood and mopped up most of Rangers efforts.

In the 15th minute, as Jets were starting to ask questions of the Rangers defence, the ever more influential Owen Deamer suffered a serious injury, following a horrendous foul, and was replaced by Lewis Cook as we all waited for what was surely a red card to be shown. Amazingly nothing more than a brief word to the offending player and a sigh of relief from the Rangers bench as they had expected the player to be getting his marching orders.

The rest of the half was to see Jets maintain the upper hand of play but failing to take several chances, poor finishing together with some stout defending from the Rangers team, getting bodies behind the ball and defending for all they were worth, and then trying to hit back at Jets on the counter attack.
 
Half time was just a matter of asking the lads to be patient and keep the pressure up and for the defence to keep their concentration levels.
 
From the start of the second half Jets were straight back at their opposition with Jets MOM Paul Danslow causing the Rangers defence all sorts of trouble. For once Danslow really seemed to be fired up, and this in turn seemed to spark young Lewis Cook  and he put in his best performance of the season following his lengthy lay off.

And it was to be Lewis Cook who reacted quickest to fire home from close range following a corner and scramble in the Rangers defence for Jets winner on the 68th min.

The rest of the game was pretty much the same with Jets attacking and again more chances were either missed or well saved. Carl Wigg and Matty Deamer put in strong performances in the centre of the Jets midfield, and controlled the game in the most part.

Rangers changed their system and added fresh legs upfront, but apart from a few minutes of pressure towards the end of the game that will always come when the score is only 1-0 and a few nerves set in, Jets felt reasonably comfortable and saw out the remaining minutes.
 
Final Score  1-0
 
MOM Paul Danslow
 
A good team performance with all the players putting in good efforts  and, probably for the first time this season, a good sharp passing game together with the players working for each other. If Jets had been a little sharper in front of goal they would have made this a lot easier game but Rangers should be applauded for their part in this game as they defended well and kept us on our toes throughout and we are sure they will cause many teams problems in the future.

On a sour note Jets came away with 2  soft yellow cards, a key player in hospital who will be out of football for weeks and off work following the outrageous tackle, with an explanation that the offending player was only a little over zealous????