Jets Beat Their Bogey Side
Oxhey Jets 3 Spartans Youth 2
Combined Counties Division One
3rd March 2026
Seven points on the bounce and the long missing players list shrinking has seen a smile back on the faces at Jets, although they did not have it all their own way against relegation-threatened Spartan Youth at the Boundary.
In football, you often find you have bogey sides, and for Jets Spartan are that team, so that, coupled with them surprisingly dropping into the relegation, was a warning that it would be a tough game with the visitors fighting for their status.
Spartans’ fast-flowing football gave them the edge early on, and twice, young GK Austin Ayres came to the rescue, both in the air and at the feet.
Paulie Portes-Schuster puts Jets into the lead.
In counter Jets were springing some good attacks, and another youngster, Harvey Hoyte, was a real threat, and that was the route that opened things for Jets as Hoyte followed a good run, knocked a pinpoint pass to Dominic Mosca, who off-footed the defence with a perfect sideways ball for Paulie Portes-Schuster to slot 1-0 (30 mins).
Spartans level with a long dipping free-kick.
The game was end-to-end, and it was Spartans who struck back and a former Jets player, Lewis Davis, who drew blood with a long-distance free kick dipped under the bar and past the outstretched keeper, who will be disappointed with this one. 1-1 (38 mins).
Dominic Mosca puts Jets back in the lead 2-1.
Jets started the second half on a positive and was good to see George Rice return after a long lay off and the game was to stretch fairly quickly when Dominic Mosca latched onto a cross goal ball 2-1 (53 min) then an excellent goal by Joseph Brown who hunted down former Jets GK Henry Ford and nipped in and took the ball off the foot of tge keeper to twist and hit a superb shot high into the net 3-1 (57 mins)
Quick thinking from Joseph Brown to steal the ball and score 3-1
Joseph’s happy with that one.
Things got harder for Spartans when Alex Robb was shown a straight red for a dreadful lunge at Paulie Portes, but it was they who rallied as Jets became sloppy and in some cases almost looked uninterested and deservedly Spartans pulled a goal back, Harry Stow (81 min), and they pushed Jets the whole way, and we hung on for the points – just!
Spartans pull one back to put the pressure on Jets for the final 10 minutes.
On this form, I just can’t understand how the Spartans are in trouble!!
Jets’ man of the match on Saturday, Harvey Hoyte, was excellent again, as was Joseph Brown, who topped it off with a very good goal. The Carlsberg Jets Man of the Match decision, however, deservedly went to skipper Luke Nugent. His interceptions, last-gasp tackles, and blocks were a major reason Jets hung on for the points and moved closer to the magic point-a-game total always sought.
