Jets Are In The Herts FA Charity Shield Final!
Oxhey Jets 3 Colney Heath 2
Herts Charity Shield Semi-Final
17th October 2023
What a semi-final! Jets came through in the end with a late winner from Owen Ayres in what had been an exciting, end to end against last year’s winners Colney Heath.
The first half had been goalless but both sides had chances. Both sides had early sighters over the bar from corners, then Heath had a real chance after Sippetts broke through the Jets defence and created an opportunity for Lawford but Jets managed to block it out. Jets had their chances as well and were denied a great chance in the 24th minute when the Heath defender made a great last ditch tackle.
The Heath keeper made a good save from a Lopes effort close to halftime and it remained goalless at the break.
Second half and both sides turned it up a gear. Now we had a real cup tie. Lewis made a good save in the 51st minute from a Sippetts strike and a moment later Heath were through again but shot over the bar.
Kinoshi went close on the hour and then scored 5 minutes later, breaking through and beating Lewis 1-on-1.
Jets came fighting back though and just 3 minutes later were level. Jameel got in his cross and the Heath defence failed to deal with it. It fell to Andre Lopes who fed it back across goal to Dylan who was able to slot it home into an empty net. 1-1
All action and two minutes later Dylan came up with a beauty. He picked up the ball outside the area and hit a super strike into the bottom corner leaving the Heath keeper no chance. 2-1 Jets but it didn’t last long!
Just a minute later and it’s 2-2, Samways bringing Heath level.
All to play for, for both sides, who could get the decider?
Jets won it in the 85th minute.
The ball reaches the near post from a Jameel corner and Owen Ayres is there to flick into the bottom corner. 3-2 Jets! Jets held on through the final minutes, Heath lost a man to a double yellow in added time. Jets make the final.
A great cup tie, great commitment from both sides. Up the Jets!
Great performance from young Olly Pope to win the Carlsberg Man of the Match on a night when the level of play and commitment was superb.
It’s been 9 years since we made a final. Here’s a reminder of our last cup winning team, our 2014 St Marys Cup winners managed by Wayne Gladdy.
