Oxhey Jets FC – Spartan South Midlands Premier Football Team

Reserves Promoted!

A day off for the Reserves but a big day never the less.

Bush Hills 3-2 win over Cockfosters Reserves means that Jets Reserves are Promoted to the Herts County League Premier Division, so actually within the FA Pyramid system for the first time ever.

Bush Hill still remain championship favourites but our promotion is now assured and it completes a great week for the Club and the Reserves who won the Hertfordshire Intermediate Cup for the first Time on Tuesday.

Congratulations to Tom, Steve and the whole squad on their achievements so far, I say so far as they have a semi-final and a championship still to play for.

United Show Their Strength

Oxhey Jets 1 Biggleswade Utd 4
Spartan South Midlands Premier
13th April 2019

The sun came out, recent forms been sound, two footballing teams, so today hopes were high for an excellent old end to end ding dong.

Jets receive the February SSMP Team of the Month Award from Bill Hamilton of the SSML.

The day started well. League officers were there to present the team of the month award for February, the first for us this season.

The match started as we expected, end to end, relentlessly carefree football it was looking full of goals for sure.

Numerous shots blocked by Jets in a frantic goalmouth scramble

Biggleswade had one scramble in the Jets goal mouth that went on for what seemed an hour, but somehow it stayed out, and their carefree attacks were causing us problems.

Jets were also on it, and Nick Kerkey forced two excellent saves to keep the United defence busy as the game lived up to its expectations. Jets downfall, though, was the slack wasteful passes, and it was to cost them dearly more than once.

United grabbed the lead after a weak midfield ball was pounced on and executed to the full and they never looked back then. Jets were being outplayed, outworked, outclassed and chased shadows and were more than happy to be just two down at the break. A big helping hand to that was young Filip Chalupniczak in goal making several saves, Jets were getting the runaround, and it was painful.

Some superb saves from Filip were keeping Jets in the game

Manager Tim O’Sullivan was fuming at the lack of effort and awareness of the game and made clear they had just ten minutes to respond or three changes would be made.

Well in the first minutes yet again a sloppy not excusable loss of the ball sent United on route one down the wing. Jets looked like Tiger Moths chasing Concorde and skipper Tom Gibson poked the ball into his own net desperate to stop it getting to the numerous unmarked players. It was over, Jets in tatters today had capitulated.

Jets showed more bite with the substitutions

Three changes were made, and it was Jets best spell, Sean Giordmaina was denied by a good save with a header, and Nick Kerley went close at the post. The main trouble now was getting the balls back from the farmer’s field as so many were inexplicably blasted high out the ground today.

A good save denied Sean Giordmaina

Nick Kerley went close in a better spell from Jets

Scott Bonner heads Jets goal and gave a brief hope

Jets pulled a goal back with a Scott Bonner header from a perfectly placed free-kick. The response after that though angered the manager as he expects more fight from his team. Pull one back yes, eight minutes to go, keep going, get another but never give up.

Jets today got burned off out of sight again and the easiest of slots no4 within two minutes made it 1-4, end of game.

United were excellent today and look like a team ready to make a strong promotion bid next season. Jets, though, fell well short of what they are capable of. It was totally unacceptable today, and many people had a wake-up call.

Jets Man of the match was a two-player contest between the keeper and the midfielder. The manager picked Andy Brennan as the clear winner.

Excellent match officials today

Terrific Reserves Win Herts FA Intermediate Cup

Oxhey Jets Reserves 2 Royston Town Reserves 0
Herts FA Intermediate Cup Final
9th April 2019

Jets Reserves beat Royston Town Reserves 2-0 tonight in the Herts Intermediate Cup final at the County Ground Letchworth.

Jets goals came from Ashley Fongho (20 min) and Andre Lopes (90+1).

Royston started the brighter but Jets looked dangerous on the break.

Ashley Fongho put Jets ahead in the 20th minute with a superb strike and from then on Jets looked the stronger team and the one more likely to score again.

In fact, good work by the Royston keeper continued to deny Jets, so much so that he was given the Herts FA Man of the Match award.

While it remained just 1-0 Jets were always vulnerable to one good shot from Royston. It nearly happened two minutes from time but a tremendous save from Jets keeper Drilon Ajeti denied Royston and preserved Jets lead as full time approached. Drilon was made the Jets Man of the Match primarily for that save, so pivotal to the end result.

Then in the 91st minute Jets finally sealed the win with a fine left-footed cross goal shot from Andre Lopes which started huge Jets celebrations by players, management and supporters.

Great win for the Reserves.