Our report on the 2024 Remembrance Day ceremony and match with the Royal Navy is available here.
NEW! Sportshots Photography Photo Gallery of the 2024 Remembrance Day Match here
Herts FA Charity Shield Cup Semi Final -POSTPONED
Oxhey Jets vs Wormley Rovers
Tuesday 7th January. 7:30 pm
MATCH POSTPONED
PITCH IS WATERLOGGED AND WE HAVE HAD COMMERCIAL FLYTIPPERS DROP SEVERAL LORRY LOADS THAT FILL THE CAR PARK.
Strong Jets Denied By Late Winner
Windsor and Eton 2 Oxhey Jets 1
Cherry Red Combined Counties Division One
4th January 2025
Massive reaction was needed, and it was given by Jets at title Favourites Windsor & Eton following last week’s dreadful display at Hillingdon.
On the only grass pitch in the Combined Counties league to survive the freeze, Jets went off to the Lion’s den with everyone expecting them to be slated again, but the crowd of 269 were stunned by a fantastic defensive display in the first half by Jets.
In fact, Jets were only denied the lead by a coat of paint when Joe Reade clattered the underside of the crossbar, only for the the ball to bounce on the goal line and come back out.
Jets had given everything and matched their excellent opponents blow for blow, which led to a rather flattering, if not self-indulgent, comment by one supporter of W&E to our staff on the way off, saying, “You should be very proud of your team!” !!
Those same staff had made very difficult choices pre-match, making many changes to the squad and team. It was a welcome return from long injury layoffs for Danny Fowler and Archie Sykes, and Elliott Harris returned from suspension all straight into the start lineup. An eye-watering battle was between well-travelled and experienced Marcus Mealing and James Kimber. Kimber was superb, pegging back the top striker and Jets a credible 0-0 at the break.
Jets needed to continue their first-half effort to repeat the superb win over W&E they achieved early in the season at the Boundary.
Now, with the slope and the very influential crowd behind them, the hosts upped their levels even more but frustration showed when they were reduced to ten men for a sin bin. They still, however, were able to take the lead when, at 55 minutes, a sharp one-two opened up a chance; the Jets keeper started to come and stopped and substitute Ethan Darcy rounded him to score 1-0.
Jets went a little into their shell but dug deep; Kimber and his side kick Craig Stephen Lett were faultless, and although for a while we went out of the game, our desire and effort never faded.
Then the staff shook things up and made multiple changes, and Jets went more direct. With just three minutes to play Patrick Brander, Jets’ youngest player, went on a direct attack from an angle, sidestepped the keeper and slotted 1-1 (87 mins)
Now it was a different Jets, and how the game was not won will haunt them. Three massive chances were presented to the Jets in rapid succession. We had gone from no chances in the second half to streaming forward and looking like the more likely side, then a big chance as our leading scorer Dominic Mosca broke clear slotted the keeper but agonisingly just past the post.
As the referee indicated four minutes of stoppage, it was a frenzied finish, but with seven minutes of the four gone (Yes, that’s not an error!!!) Jets lost possession going forward, the hosts countered and were awarded a soft free kick. From the free-kick Pawel Kowalkowski headed the winner.
To rub salt in Jets wounds, the referee apologised in the bar afterwards for the very soft free kick that lost the game, clearly influenced by the excellent but very biased massive home crowd.
A defeat, but some strong performances by the lads and nothing but praise for the whole squad.
The Carlsberg man of the match was clearly destined for the defence, and I repeat, James Kimber was absolutely superb. having to deal with one of the most experienced forwards in the division, alongside his partner Craig, was also faultless, so with no one willing to split the pair the award was shared.
Something special was needed after Hillingdon, and the dreaded follow-up game against the title favourites was the last thing Jets needed. Still, today, the lads were genuinely magnificent, and only rotten luck and a bit of coolness at the critical moment cost them a brilliant point against a top-of-the-table team who also, with their support, really do have an extra man.
Jets Get Blasted
Hillingdon Borough 7 Oxhey Jets 1
Cherry Red Combined Counties Division One
28th December 2024
Jets were thumped and outplayed at Hillingdon Borough after early promise wilted away. On seeing the pitch, Jets changed the line-up and tactics, knowing the football would not be possible and fully expecting the match to be abandoned by halftime. Still, as dreadful as it was, the home side played some delightful football on it, a real credit to them for showing if you are good enough, you can play on any surface.
Jets took the lead from the penalty spot when Dominic Mosca converted 0-1 ( 14 min), and things were even, but the lead was short-lived, just three minutes, then a defensive mistake led to a second on twenty-three minutes, and Jets found themselves 1-2 down but still in the match, and had one cleared off the line and Kimber denied by the keeper. Jets, though, then changed formation, and it wholly backfired, and the home side stormed into a 4-1 lead at the break.
Jets in the second half can find little praise; they folded, shrugged their shoulders, and lacked effort to contain the score. If not retrievable, it was not good to watch and unacceptable.
Hillingdon ran riot, firmly thrashing the Jets in a complete lesson to the lacklustre effort offered in response to what is an excellent Hillingdon team.
Hillingdon are one of the most gifted teams we’ve seen, and if its facilities were to match its ability, it would be a threat to the pyramid.
No Carlsberg man of the match was given, and very few can hold their heads high, but in the final minutes, Dominic Mosca carried on working and battling a lost cause and could and should have pulled the score back to closer if not actually respectable.
The hope of a late push for a playoff place firmly lost in the last month after a promising run leaves the Jets looking at the Cups for any hopes of glory for this season, but it will need to be much better than this to achieve anything.
Jets Bounce Back To Blow Woods Away
Oxhey Jets 4 Colliers Wood 2
Cherry Red Combined Counties Division One
21st December 2024
Despite the horrendous north wind blowing, Santa didn’t turn up, but this was definitely not a Christmas Cracker !!
Jets are blowing hot and cold, and after the excellent midweek demolition of St Albans City Reserves, Jets went into a slumber mood. By half time, I was wishing I had my old photographic colour testing kits to see if we were red/blue colour blind going by the standard of the passing!!
Colliers Wood are on a bad run after five defeats on the bounce but they were up for the fight after their difficult train journey to the Boundary.
Jets were getting chances, and George Rice was opening the defence with his direct runs, but Jets were wasteful, missing the, at times, tap-ins and almost paid the price. However, in goal, young Henry Ford was on hand to block and keep things level.
Good play by Rice again opened up the goal, and the ball was met perfectly by leading scorer Dom Mosca, who beat the keeper 1-0 ( 16 mins).
Straight from the kickoff, the visitors attacked the Jets’ flank, who were not concentrating or ready, and despite Ford’s sliding attempt, the gentle touch to one side left the keeper stranded, and the ball stroked in the net by Jordan Mobil within a minute 1-1 (16 mins).
Weirdly, as the light turned bright orange in a wicked sky, Owen Ayres thought he had finished off a superb move into the net but was denied by the strangest offside flag of the day.
In the swirling wind and rain, the rest of the half was best forgotten and, at the break, it remained 1-1.
The second half started as always slow for the Jets, and again, we were caught out on the flank; from the resulting corner, the visitors took the lead with a back post finish by James Curren (49 min), so now this was going to be a big test for off-colour Jets.
The staff were quick to react, and the importance of the bench came to the rescue as three changes upped the tempo; although the passing quality did not improve as the pitch deteriorated, the effort was improving. Then the breakthrough when, after an impressive series of passes, came from the edge of the area as TJ shot and beat the keeper 2-2 ( 61 mins).
Now Jets were on the attack, but the finishing “kill” quality was lacking. Still, long-distance goals are becoming a feature, but with David Lopes missing ill, today it was substitute Malachi Bailey whose high dipper beat the keeper from the touchline 3-1 (75 mins).
The visitors were floored, the body language said that, and excellent graft by Dom Mosca robbed the skipper and keeper, and as he chased the loose ball to slot in the empty net, Elliott Harris nipped in to slot and killed the game 4-2 (90+4).
It was not a classic but points on the table, and no one demonstrated that work rate can earn points on a bad conditions day more than Dom Mosca, who battled and chased and battled some more to earn the solo nomination for the Carlsberg man of the match.
It won’t be all good with around thirty matches already played in only eighteen weeks. As our staff builds and adds to the squad to increase depth, it is clear how vital that depth is. Today was visible proof, as the bench and the staff’s reaction to change things won the game.
Merry Christmas everyone. With no midweek game, enjoy the festive mini-break; you’ve earned it well.
Oxhey Jets 4 St Albans City Reserves 1
Herts Centenary Cup Quarter-Final
17th December 2024
Jets blasted St Albans City Reserves aside in this quarter-final tie to face the Everett Rovers/London Cheetahs tie winners in the semi-final.
Jets are blowing hot and cold at the moment, and after a sterile first fifteen offering scrappy football, Jets grabbed the lead as Joe Reade tucked a perfect ball behind the centre half for George Rice to run onto and slot from a tight angle 1-0 (19 min)
Our report on the 2024 Remembrance Day ceremony and match with the Royal Navy is available here.
NEW! Sportshots Photography Photo Gallery of the 2024 Remembrance Day Match here
Jets Blast Saints Aside
The teams had hardly restarted when Elliott Harris harassed and dispossessed the defender to unleash an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner 2-0 (21 mins)
Jets then lost George Rice, injured, and replaced him with Patrick Brander, who was back after missing four games. He looked up and was ready for his return, turning defenders inside out at every opportunity.
In an almost repeat of his first goal, Elliott Harris dispossessed the defender and smashed the ball high into the top of the net (35min) for 3-0 and a big lead at the break that could have been worse for City had the assistant been up to the goal line when David Lopes hit his traditional long shot that hit the underside of the bar bounced twice looked well in before clawed out but, to be fair to the assistant, the shot was from a good 50yds out !!
Both sides made multiple changes, and City took control now and pushed Jets to the limit; they went through twice but were denied by Henry Ford in goal. But on 70 minutes, City pulled one back, and it looked like the Jets lead could be in danger as City dominated proceedings.
Luckily for Jets, Man of the Match Elliott Harris took the sting completely out of the game as he sprinted past the defender, latching onto hesitation and cooly slotted for his Hat trick 4-1 (74 min)
The game effectively died, and Jets played out the game for a comfortable scoreline, which was secured with very effective, ruthless goal-scoring. City were lucky it wasn’t worse as Patrick Brander was denied by the post with the keeper beaten.
In fairness to St Albans, they never gave up, and at 3-1, they were looking good for a comeback, but tonight, Jets were ruthless, and none more than Elliott Harris, who had a superb hat trick.
Match Video:
Adrian Flux Insurance November Player Of The Month
George Rice is our well-deserved Adrian Flux Insurance Oxhey Jets Player Of The Month for November. George had an excellent month with two Man of the Match Awards and another two Man of the Match nominations. He scored three goals and made two assists in a highly consistent set of performances.
Overall Jets had a powerful month with six wins from seven matches, including progressing in two cup competitions and ending the month by winning away in the league at second place Penn & Tylers Green.
Unsurprisingly, there were several outstanding player contributions during the month. Dom Mosca was again in the goals with four more in the month and a Man of the Match award. Andre Lopes matched him and also assisted in a goal. The defence performed well throughout the month, most notably James Kimber with a Man of the Match award, two shortlist nominations and part of the clean sheet defence in the 4-0 win against Holmer Green.
Overall, though, it was George’s month. Congratulations, George, from everyone at Adrian Flux Insurance.
Oxhey Jets Score Nearly £1m Funding From Three Rivers District Council
Jets Stun Penn
Penn & Tylers Green 1 Oxhey Jets 2
Cherry Red Combined Counties Division One
30th November 2024
Jets produced a stunning result on the Road against second-placed Penn & Tyler, and they had to do it the hard way, playing the last half hour with ten men following Olly Popes red card ( 2 yellows)
The only result that comes close to challenging this as the result of the season so far is the home win over Windsor and Eton earlier in the season. Still, the sheer determination and effort needed today is an absolute tribute to every player. Jets were rocked by withdrawals, so again, it was a reorganised side, but they were angry and determined as a unit to play from the heart today.
It was a league debut for young Henry J Ford, and he was outstanding when called upon to make a few stunning saves on the rare occasions Jets’ defence was beaten.
The first-half Jets were stunning, playing some smooth football on a good surface, but the opening goal was incredible. Returning from Injury, David Lopes jinked and went to play in the winger, but spotting the keeper off his line, unloaded a fierce dipper over the keeper and high into the net a full 40 yds plus out that the keeper could only watch in horror as it hit the net, a genuinely incredible goal 0-1 (10 min)
This was an end-to-end open game. Both sides looked good, but maybe I’m biased. The Jets were turning it on, and we were threatening for goals on both ends; Patrick and Elliot were burning up the wings, while the defence was faultless at the other end.
A sweet move opened up Penn when Lopes again split the defence, Brander to full back Archie Sykes, whose perfect pullback found Dominic Mosca unmarked to run the ball into the net (0-2 35 mins)
The Jets were buoyant, and second-placed Penn was stunned. 14th gave 2nd the runaround, and the Jets kept the lead up to the break.
Penn reorganised and definitely had more muscle in the second half, and as the game got further in, the referee started brandishing both sides with cards; one for Olly Pope for pulling an attacker down who battled the ball off him, which was later to prove critical to Jets game.
Jets could and should have increased the gap, but top scorer Dominic Mosca was not having the luckiest of days today.
Jets were flowing again, Harris and Brander burning up the wings, but then Olly Pope tackled a defender on the edge of the box, and immediately a yellow Red was pulled out; in fairness, the ref was not wrong, but now a different Jets was needed.
The response with the substitutions and every player out there was truly magnificent. Every ball and pass was contested as Penn swarmed forward, knowing they had half an hour to save the match. But Jets are fast. Although now rarely exploring the counters, more than once, they opened Penn’s defence, and twice, Mosca was one on the keeper but couldn’t get the final touch.
But mostly, this was a rearguard action, and Craig Stephen Lett was having his best game since returning to the club. He was faultless today, but it’s hard to single anyone out.
Three minutes into stoppage time, Alfie Branwhite slotted a searching ball across the box (1-2 93 min), and it was game back on; Jets threw everything Jets contained and played out, going straight for the corner flags or playing contained keep the ball when they could and time ran out.
The staff expressed their pride in the side and performance, which was praised well deserved.
I asked for a man of the match. Can’t they all get it? That was the question, but they had to narrow it down. David Lopes’s stunning goal and an assist, the young GK Henry did all that was asked of him, but the two contenders, Craig and James Kimber, went head to head; the nod in this stunning match went to Craig.
The A team played top of the table, and here is the manager’s summary.
Jets A lost 2-1 to top of the league Harpenden today.
We were 1-0 down at HT but still definitely in the game. In the second half, we were the better team. We eventually got the breakthrough with a nice finish by Dhyan Sharma to make it 1-1. We continued to press but couldn’t get a breakthrough. Unfortunately, in the dying minutes, we conceded what was to be the winner. A brilliant performance by the squad, a defeat that is very hard to take.
