Confident Team Performance From Jets
Oxhey Jets 3 Woodley United 0
Combined Counties Division One
23rd April 2024
A very confident team display tonight from Jets, who fully deserved their 3-0 win over Woodley United.
Dave Barnes and Tom Inch sent the team out with clear instructions and a desire to end the season well, and it showed as Jets quickly took charge of the match.
Unfortunately, George Rice, who has been in excellent form since he moved up from the County League, was forced off after 12 minutes after taking a knock that tightened up a hamstring.
Jets finally took the lead on 27 minutes, and it was a superb goal. Remell Sterling provided a peach of a defence-splitting ball across the penalty area where Archie Sykes glided past the Woodley defence to strike it home at the far post. 1-0.
Meanwhile, Cameron Sharpe, another youngster from Jets County League sides and another son of one of our Vets players, was making the most of his Senior Team debut start and put in a tremendous performance.
Jets should have increased their lead before half-time but didn’t take advantage of their opportunities. HT 1-0.
Tom and Dave warned about the expected pushback from Woodley and that it was important to stay on the front foot and get the job done.
Jets did precisely that and extended their lead on 52 minutes when Remell Stirling closed down the Woodley keeper whose forced clearance rebounded off Remell into the goal 2-0.
Jets kept control of the game and it was a true team performance, everyone playing their part, well organised and a terrific standard.
Andre Lopes, right back to his early season form tonight, made sure of the points when scoring Jets’ third goal on 84 minutes. Andre started the move on the touchline by the dugouts, sending a crossfield ball to the other wing where Danny Fowler speeded down the byline, crossed to the penalty area and, after a failed clearance, Andre was up there to strike into the far bottom corner of the goal. 3-0.
Great result, and the management assessment was that everyone was a strong 8 out of 10, except for Andre Lopes who got a 9 and the Carlsberg Oxhey Jets Man of the Match award.
Depleted Jets Still Push Play-Off Candidates Close
Eversley & California 5 Oxhey Jets 3
Combined Counties Division One
20th April 2024
It might sound like a record on repeat, but yet again Jets are so close, yet just miss out at the end !!
Today up against a team well encased in the playoff zone Jets faced an inform Eversley & California (E&C) for the third time this season, incredible to think Jets have won the last two, but travelling with a depleted squad caused by completely unacceptable late withdrawals and great attitude by the first team staff refusing to disrupt our other teams in important games at short notice they travelled light.
The worst possible start as we fell behind after just 9 minutes but the response was immediate as just one minute later Owen Ayres was unmarked and on hand to stroke the ball into the empty net at the back post. 1-1 ( 10 min)The goals continued when the impressive George Rice low cross, following a scramble, was put in at the back post by James Kimber 1-2 Jets (22minutes).
This was an end to end blow for blow match, Jets with a re-emerging Remell Sterling causing problems along with Andre Lopes attacking at speed unsettling the hosts, but it was E&C who struck twice first the equaliser 2-2 then a fast attack goal that saw celebrations cut short by the assistant’s flag. It was a real cracker to watch and highlights how close Jets are to turning from mid-table to maybe play-off pushers, just a few more committed players.
Jets madness of this game continues in the second but unfortunately as in previous games Jets at the moment can’t defend but are ripping up the attacks so when again poor defending allowed the home side to edge in front it spelt trouble.
Surprise surprise just minutes later Sterling being tugged and held battled off the attempts and laid a peach of a ball through to a superb solo run by George Rice across the halfway line, faced with the solo oncoming player the keeper came storming out of his area and met the youngster mid half, but got burned off and the youngster ran the ball all the way to the net for his first goal in the senior team.
Jets with 3/4 of the game played against a playoff team were absolutely the top draw going forward.
Unfortunately, the same old late goals cost the game, one very late, but again showing how well this management team is doing in putting together a proper team. Unfortunately, some element of self-arrogance and unreliability is holding them back and no doubt highlighting the inputs they are already scouting for with the new season in mind.
Defeat but so many positives again.
The Carlsberg man of the match was hard today. Excellent first half by Andre Lopes and Remell Stirling getting better each game now, but the final two, not able to be split today, was another impressive performance and goal by young George Rice and the emerging team leadership being shown by Owen Ayres who worked non-stop all afternoon and today with the skipper’s armband really led from the front.
So near but just found wanting and a little short.
Super Effort From Jets In Defeat
Oxhey Jets 1 Yateley United 2
Esoteric Recordings Division One Challenge Cup Quarter-Final
16th April 2024
Jets put on a superb performance against play-off hopefuls Yateley but were found as so often this season just a little short of the big result.
After a couple of horror league performances, this was a top-end performance and Jets will feel a little hard done getting nothing at least penalties from the quarter-final tie.
The opening was incredible with Yateley missing a bolt-on chance for the lead then minutes later Jets leading scorer Owen Ayres missing an equally big opening at the other end.
It was a cracking end-to-end match and Jets got the lead from the spot after Remell Stirling was chopped from behind as he was about to roll into an empty net, Owen Ayres slotted.
Jets held that lead but were bitterly disappointed to concede from a corner right on half time.
The chances both ends came and went, Jets, unfortunately, are guilty at the moment of not finishing chances let alone half chances and for that the ultimate price was paid.
From another corner, it was the same again an unchallenged header into the net for what was the winner.
Jets really pushed and pushed, never giving up hope. Their attitude was excellent with chances coming to George Rice, Owen Ayres and Remell Stirling, but tonight it lacked the necessary accuracy.
Man of the match was unanimous with, on only his second match, young George Rice putting in a tremendous match, he just needs that goal.
Adrian Flux Insurance March Player Of The Month
March was a positive month for Jets with three wins, two draws and two defeats (that were against league Champions Amersham, and higher division opponents Harpenden Town in a Cup).
Six different Man of the Match award winners were Captain Owen Deamer in midfield, Ben Kimber strong in defence, Dylan Hickman Singh playing well until leaving the club to work abroad, Jameel Murshid on his return to the club, Lewis Lavin, as always, outstanding in goal, and Roy Byron with two MOMs, joining the club and adding experience to the young Jets side. Despite no MOMs, Owen Ayres and Andre Lopes also figured strongly with goals and assists.
The final decision came down to two players, Roy Byron and Lewis Lavin. Lewis had a strong month with a series of super saves, a MOM against Harpenden, a clean sheet against Yateley and lots of praise in the match reports.
The final vote, though, went to Roy Byron, who had an exceptional first month with the club. He had a strong Jets debut against Bagshot, and MOMs in the return fixture vs Bagshot and the draw with Deportivo. Roy brought a calming head and maturity to the side that made a big contribution to Jets good league results.
Congratulations Roy
Jets Can’t Contain Determined Holmer
Oxhey Jets 1 Holmer Green 2
Combined Counties Division 1
13th April 2024
Pointless in more ways than one was clearly the outcome in some Jets players’ minds after the 1-2 home defeat to rock bottom at kick-off club Holmer Green.
The cup final defeat midweek had clearly taken its toll as the managers were faced with withdrawals, tired legs and a lack of importance as the end-of-season blues set in and a lack of desire for the fixture that needs to change immediately.
Like the defeat to Hillingdon in the last league game Jets found a Holmer Green team that is playing to beat the drop with five sides at the bottom not wanting to be in the drop zone, so the form guide not surprisingly shows those sides as the on-form teams along with the play-off contenders and the mid-table drifters clearly rotating and playing the season out.
There was a first start in the first team for George Rice and how well he did, a real bright spot in the afternoon and he will probably think he should have opened his first team goal account with a decent chance in each half.
Jets really were slack and lacking desire, yes a dry and bobbly pitch which at least changed the rhetoric from moaning about a wet and boggy one, but it’s grass lads, does anyone remember football on grass??
Jets letdown was effort and concentration, players which led to both Holmer’s first-half goals, ball watching and not tracking the player goal side.
The second half was much better by comparison to the first after a stern talking too !!
Jets were having the advantage in a stop, stop game, to say the least, while the official caught up and incidents that swung the game plenty that if we discussed would leave to a charge so nothing on it, let it go and deal with it through the Moas report system.
Jets pulled one back from the spot, Owen Ayres skippering today slotted after Remell Stirling was buried by the keeper, and Ayres was then bundled up in the net like a fish being hauled into a trawler net by the beaten keeper.
Jets huffed and puffed and George Rice had a great chance inches past the post, but Jets were having to be very careful now defensively as GK Lavin was crocked but, with no spare keeper or volunteers, soldiered on limping heavily.
Age before beauty, substitution as manager, Tom Inch took the field with young Vinny Wade, to try to put some energy into the lacklustre attack and midfield, and Jets pushed hard and both Kimber and Wade looked to have great chances but today nobody could pull off that one touch for a point, as Holmer got the win they deserved because they wanted it more.
Joint manager Dave Barnes made it clear much more is expected Tuesday as they play in the cup Quarter Final against play-off hopefuls Yateley, or the last league games will become a season play out.
Only two nominations for man of the match. A really good display by young George Rice and the often saviour today at the other end Craig Stephen-Lett and the vote went 2-1, just like the match, to Craig on this occasion.
Not a great day.