Jets 2nd Half Commitment Earns A Good Point
Jets spluttered to a point at home to Edgware in a horrible wet Boundary Stadium, and it was definitely Jets more than the visitors who were glad to hear the final whistle.
The list of withdrawals covered and Jets got off to a woeful start falling behind after just 5 minutes when the nippy Kedman took Taylor on and was forced wide, and it looked and should from that angle have been dealt with but looking safe somehow it slipped past the keeper and into the net 0-1 (5 mins). In honesty it’s hard to write anything positive about the rest of the half for Jets as Edgware had control of the midfield and Jets failed to almost a man to impress any serious long periods of control on the game and two good saves and a mountainous effort from skipper Jack Robertson helped Jets to the one goal deficit at the break.
Not happy sums up the talk, and action followed the talk when after a long lay off Luke Wells was brought off the bench back to action stations and it paid quick benefits when the keeper denied him but Ian Hurst was loitering at the back post to slot the rebound as he was flattened, and had the ball not entered the net a probable red card would have been shown.
Any doubt about whether the ball crossed the goal-line is removed by the photos proving the assistant 100% correct. 1-1 (52 mins).
Jets for the first time swung into action and were having their best period of the game. The decision to drop Sim Armstrong further back into midfield had made the difference and now the combination of Warn, Armstrong and Pugsley were giving Jets a lot more midfield ball and opportunities.
We know that Gary Warn has a powerful shot in his locker and how he produced it on 60 minutes when he surged through and shot low and hard from 30 yards out, beating the keeper for pace and slotting in the bottom corner of the net. 2-1 Jets. The home crowd hoped this was the turning point as Jets were, at this point, slightly on top.
The game was now end to end but poor defending from a free kick was to tie the game up at 2-2. Awarded a free kick just outside the area a wall was lined up but Ali slotted over the wall past the rooted keeper (71 mins).
Frankly Jets must do better than this if winning is to return from the multiple draws. It was anybody’s in the final twenty but Jets I’m sure were more pleased to hear the whistle and could have been down to ten without a keeper when again hesitation led to a flattening of the visitors forward, and only the presence of a defender I’m sure denied the showing of the red, and luckily for Jets this time the free kick was wasted high over the bar.
Adam Lowton on and fresh from his marriage proposal was denied by a brave save in the dying moments but the draw was just about right on the day with Jets more thankful.
Man of the match was clear to Jack Robertson, but nice to see the goal scoring legend Lewis Putman and our goalkeeper Rob Partington back on the sidelines at the club.