Colliers Wood Utd 3 Oxhey Jets 3

Jets stormed back from the home defeat on Saturday with one of their best first-half performances in a cracking 3-3 in a rare Monday night game at Colliers Wood.

Injuries and holidays are causing a problem, but what a fantastic effort and performance some of the youngsters coming in are putting in.

Jets led 2-0 at halftime with two impressive goals, but lost Paulie Schuster-Portes to an ankle injury requiring hospital treatment.

Jets stormed out of the gate, but it nearly started badly. Austin Ayres made two incredible saves to keep it goalless before the Jets took over.

A foul on the edge of the area led to Simon Poulton curling in a superb debut goal. 0-1 Poulton (19 min).

It seemed it was going to be a night of special goals. But the second was incredible. Deep in his own half, Olly Pope weaved and powered forward. From long range, he hit a thunderbolt into the net, giving the keeper no chance. 0-2 Olly Pope (31 min)

Two up at the break, disappointed to hear the whistle—we didn’t want the half to end.

Colliers Wood came out of the blocks at the starter’s gun. A perfect passing move pulled one back early, with Jordan Mbola finishing. 1-2 (51 min). Minutes later, there was controversy when a dreadful penalty was awarded against Chase Mathews for handball. It was an absolutely dreadful decision, proving, as so often, how the “hands” rule is misunderstood by officials. 2-2 Jordan Mbola (57 min).

Would the Jets fold? No, they responded with another power goal, David Lopes powering through, brushing off defenders, and almost busting the net with the shot. 2-3 Jets (63 min)

The game was a frenzied attacking contest, both sides giving their all.

Colliers Wood gained control as Jets faded; despite Jets’ earlier work, the equaliser came from Jude Soder (72 mins) after several corners.

The hosts had a massive shout for a winner when the ball looked in off the post from a corner, but no goal line technology to decide, and on the counter, Joseph brown and Simon Poulton both went clear but stopped by desperate defending right up to the whistle. It could have gone either way, so, on reflection, it was a good point, but I was disappointed not to see the three. How a man of the match could be picked, I don’t know. Incredible goals, personal performances and incredible effort on a long-haul Monday night, early leave, midnight home, but it was shared by Olly Pope, fantastic goal and super performance, and Joe Reade, who was a tower in defence as the game swung in the Jets’ faces.

Non-league at its best, this one had both sides on top form.