Oxhey Jets 1 Abbey Rangers 3
Cherry Red Combined Counties Premier Cup
14th January 2025
Jets tumbled to Southern Premier Division Abbey Rangers in the Combined Counties Premier Cup.
With almost a full-strength squad, Jets were poor in the first half and were lucky to be just a goal down at halftime, where shortly after the break, the staff said they would not accept lazy performances and changed all five substitutions into play to put on a much stronger second half.
A good early chance for Jets.
This was always going to be a tough test, and although keeper young Henry Ford was brave and the busiest, Jets missed two bolt-on chances before falling behind. Ford had earned a cut and swollen nose bravely heading a ball away outside the area after Jets’ back line had been breached again, but, in a reverse of play, Dom Mosca was put through clear on the keeper 1:1 but ran the ball straight into the keeper and the loose ball put high over the bar by Elliot Harris with the goal looming. It would be punished in full when the visitors took the lead just two minutes later, 0-1 ( 14 mins).
Jets were on the rack for much of the rest of the half and hung on mostly thanks to Ford to be one down at the break.
Jets staff clearly not happy with the effort put in and showed their teeth early in the second half after going further behind from a corner 0-2 (51 min) with the mass changes.
An acrobatic James Kimber pulls one back for Jets.
It was now a different Jets, and they went to restore pride. It was game back on when centre-half James Kimber acrobatically slotted at the post 1-2 ( 61 mins).
Jets now looked like they might just !! Or could they pull off a steal?
They tried and tried, and it was the visitors asking for the whistle to end the contest when, with four of the six minutes of stoppage time played, a clean break saw two players break totally clear from the halfway line and showed the difference in Premier finishing to finish Jets challenge 1-3 (94 mins).
It was a tough ask, but a much better second half, giving the staff some thinking to do before they turn out again Friday at Windsor.
Jets Carlsberg Man of the Match was Henry Ford, who performed bravely.
