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SATURDAY 16 AUGUST 2008 - FA CUP EXTRA-PRELIM ROUND
OXHEY JETS 5 HERTFORD TOWN 0
Suffering their heaviest defeat in over two years, Hertford got what they deserved in this all Spartan South Midlands Premier Division tie. Still short of players, with new signings Dean Harding and John Mackie still injured, and captain Kevin Kilroy fit only for the bench after aggravating a foot injury in midweek. Hertford drafted in newcomer Reece Lyons to partner Kevin Cooper up front, and Pablo Ardiles returned, even though he only returned from holiday in the early hours.
Teams: Oxhey Jets - 1. Kevin Paul, 2. Wayne Gladdy, 3. Lee Grace, 4. Marc Ayres (capt), 5. Chris Harding, 6, Ian Bywater, 7. Colin Jenkins, 8. Paul Turner, 9. Jamie Arthur, 10. Tim O'Mara, 11. Nathan Roberts. Subs Used - 12. Dave Maynard (for Gladdy, 70), 15. Adam Lowton (for Turner, 80), 17. Chris Ingham (for O'Mara, 75).
Hertford Town - 1. Louis O'Neill, 2. Pablo Ardiles, 3. Sean Crossley, 4. Joel Maybury, 5. Glenn Draper, 6. Panayiotis Panayiotou, 7. Dave Hunt, 8. Nicky Marsh, 9. Chris Spiteri, 10. Kevin Cooper (capt), 11. Reece Lyons. Subs Used: 12. Kevin Kilroy (for Panayiotou, 61), 14. Adam Mason (for Spiteri, 61), 15. Dave Greenwood (for Cooper,)
On a superb playing surface the home side got off to a flyer but Tim O'Mara somehow screwed the ball wide from the 6 yard line with the goal at his mercy, after only 45 seconds. On 8 minutes, Jets' went a head on 8 minutes through a controversial goal. Striker Jamie Arthur was two yards offside as he laid the ball back to TIM O'MARA to make up for his earlier glaring miss by putting Jets 1-0 up with a clinical finish. The goal stood despite protests about the offside.
Jamie Arthur and strike partner O'Mara were finding huge spaces in which to run as the Hertford back line were overstretched and desperately in need of some help from a static midfield. Jets' midfielder Paul Turner was bossing the centre of the field and setting up most of their attacks. Hertford did threaten on occasions - Sean Crossley fired in a good hard drive from the right wing which home 'keeper Kevin Paul caught over his head, then Nicky Marsh turned well and fired past the far post. Then after a period of Jets' pressure which won them a couple of corners, they went two up when a free kick was floated on to the head of PAUL TURNER, whose looping back header eluded Louis O'Neill and dropped under the bar, on 22 minutes.
Hertford had a fair share of the play up to half time, and Nicky Marsh had the best chance of pulling a goal back, but his shot from the right was straight at 'keeper Paul.
Half Time: Oxhey Jets 2 Hertford Town 0
Clearly stinging from a half time roasting, Hertford opened the second period strongly and again it was the speedy Marsh who had the best chance to score. But Jets had clearly had a half time pep talk too - probably along the lines that Hertford were there for the taking. Twice in a minute, the woeful visitors were hit on the break, with first O'MARA and then ARTHUR getting simple tap-ins after Louis O'Neill was left without any cover. With almost 40 minutes still to go and Hertford looking ragged in the extreme, a cricket score looked a district possibility. Captain Kevin Cooper strove manfully throughout the game, but was offered little in the way of support, and Glenn Draper was heroic at the back, but there was no team cohesion, and too much shouting at each other.
Hertford replaced Panayiotou and Spiteri on the hour, with Adam Mason and Kevin Kilroy coming on. Mason might have scored with his first touch as he struck a Kevin Cooper lay-off narrowly wide of the far post. Then Jets' Chris Harding tripped Reece Lyons right outside the penalty area but Kevin Kilroy only found the defensive wall with his free kick. Oxhey replaced Wayne Gladdy with Dave Maynard on 70 minutes in a straight swap at right back. The hard working Kevin Cooper again laid the ball back to Adam Mason, and again the youngster was close with his shot. On 74 minutes debutant Lyons had a half chance to score when he seized on a poor clearance by home 'keeper Paul, but his shot just cleared the bar. It was 5-0 to the home side on 75 minute when Dave Hunt made a hash of a pass back to Louis O'Neill, allowing TIM O'MARA to complete his hat-trick as he rounded O'Neill and slotted the ball home on the angle. O'Mara was immediately substituted by Chris Ingham.
Kevin Cooper went down injured in a Hertford attack, and had to leave the field, to be replaced by Dave Greenwood for the final few minutes.
This was Hertford's worst defeat since the 6-1 thrashing at Witham Town at New Year 2006, and with last season's runners-up Chalfont St Peter as the next opponents, a major improvement will be needed to avoid a repeat.
Oxhey can look forward to a home tie with Ilfrod of Ryman Div 1 North in the next round.
Final Score Oxhey Jets 5 Hertford Town 0
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