Yateley 3 Oxhey Jets 4

Jets Stun Yateley

Yateley 3 Oxhey Jets 4 Cherry Red Combined Counties Division One 8th February 2025

Jets unpredictable season swung again with a stunning display at play-off hopefuls Yateley. Jets had possibly their youngest squad of the season out on an immaculate pitch, the surface every bit as good as a top Astro pitch, but Grass, if you could have a grass pitch that good lettings and multi-use aside, you’d not want to swop.

Jets’ first twenty-five minutes were fabulous, a display of attacking football that more than once left the defenders sitting firmly on their butts !! Jets wingers Brander and Rice were tearing it up. The goals quickly came, first when Brander zipped the wing. Following the pass of the match from TJ, Owen Ayres, whose goal touch is returning, met his pinpoint low drive. 0-1 (5 min).

The football continued to flow, and a Mosca/Rice interchange led to a composed finish from Patrick Brander. ( 0-2 11mins)

The Jets were unstoppable, and as the defenders peeled off to try to peg back the wingers, it was top scorer Dominic Mosca hammering the third 0-3 ( 16 min)

Jets stayed in charge and should have extended when Brander pinged a cross perfect to the head of Owen Ayres, who headed the chance just over the bar. In fairness, Yateley got a grip and worked their way back into the game, and it was a real end-to-end. The unpredictable decisions were making it contentious for the home side, and this increased when young Henry Atkinson chased back and won a superb tackle and, incredibly, the referee went straight to the spot!! The referee, however, then decided to go to the assistant, and it was corrected ( rightly) that there was no pen but then a drop ball, not the corner it should have been. Jets rode out the pressure and the back line; Craig Stephen-Lett was excellent in the aerial duel at the back, keeping out the well-drilled home side set pieces.

Yateley, as expected, came at Jets throats from the second-half kick-off and, in a goalmouth scramble, Finlay Scott pulled one back after just four minutes. (1-3 49 mins) Yateley now had the upper hand, and it was Jets’ defence and midfield taking the spotlight off the front line. Then, from another set play, Harry Lee headed home (2-3 59 mins), and Jets were on the rack.

Incredibly, this shook the Jets into action, taking up the assault again, and when the home defence looked in control, a loose ball was forced by Dominic Mosca, harassing and chasing, and he got possession and slotted. (2-4 61 mins) With half an hour to play, the maturity shown by the Jets in possession and running the clock down was in advance of this team’s years, and the play was excellent. They even opened the home defence twice with through balls to Rice but looked tired. The winger could not convert, but they held their lines until stoppage time. Then, with two of the four minutes played, another set ball header hit the net. (3-4 92 mins) Panic, no, Jets made two chances, one denied by the keeper and the second TJ sensibly headed for the corner flag when he and Owen Ayres played out multiple corners to see us over the line. After a hurtful few games, this was a real bounce back and some display against a top side.

Man of the match as is when a win was contested, the front line was outstanding and a constant threat; Craig was excellent, especially in the first half, possibly his best game of the season, but the decision went to Owen Ayres, who was like his old self working and marshalling the midfield and got a good opening goal too.

A five-star first half and a controlled second brought an excellent away win for the Jets.