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OXHEY JETS 3 HERTFORD TOWN 3
Molten Spartan South Midlands League - Premier Division
Saturday 18th October 2008
Pablo Ardiles' first game in charge really was a game of two halves, to use the age old cliché. The slightly unfamiliar Blues team played some attractive football in places during the first half, but went in three nil down at the break, thanks in part to some defensive frailties. The second half however, was a completely different story. The Blues had not let their heads drop and continued to play a good passing game. During a ten minute spell in the middle of the half they scored the three goals that got them back on a level footing with their hosts. If it had not been for some desperate defending in the dying minutes, the result may even have been an away win!
Teams - Oxhey Jets: 1. Rob Blackburne, 2. Ian Bywater, 3. Lee Grace, 4. Marc Ayres (capt), 5. Chris Harding, 6. Dave Maynard, 7. Chris Ingham, 8. Nathan Roberts, 9. Paul Turner, 10. Karl Bull,
11. Jamie Arthur. Subs Used: Steve Brown (for Grace), Tim O'Mara (for Bull), Ian Holdom (for Turner).
Hertford Town: 1. Louis O'Neill, 2. Duncan Hamilton, 3. Chris Spiteri, 4. Jack Bruno, 5. Joel Maybury (capt), 6. Pablo Ardiles, 7. Dave Hunt, 8. Owen Beale, 9. Attila Korsoveczki, 10. Kevin Kilroy, 11. Jamie Abbott. Subs Used: Tom Powell (for Bruno), Andy Chapman (for Spiteri).
The game began at a moderate pace with both teams demonstrating that they had come to play an attractive game of football, though the opening forays did not come to much. On six minutes however, returning Hertford Town striker, Attila Korsoveczki showed the characteristic close ball control that won him many plaudits at the end of last season. He was able to make a strike but his shot was wide. A few minutes later, good play by Jets' Jamie Arthur saw him play in Paul Turner in a good position, but his shot was weak and easily saved by Hertford custodian O'Neill.
On twelve minutes, good combination play by Town's Kevin Kilroy and Attila Korsoveczki led to Dave Hunt being put in with a good chance. His powerful shot was saved by Jets' Keeper Blackburne, making his debut for his new club. From the resulting corner the ball fell to Jamie Abbott but his shot was hit over the bar. Three minutes later a pacy run by Oxhey's Dave Maynard down the right wing saw the ball crossed into the box and the Hertford defence forced to concede a corner. The ball again found its way into the box but was knocked safely out for a goal kick.
On eighteen minutes a foul by Joel Maybury led to an Oxhey Jets free kick on the edge of the Hertford eighteen yard box. Jamie Arthur took the kick but his shot was very soft and easily dealt with by the Hertford defence.
Jets' Karl Bull and Dave Maynard were now giving a demonstration of some good combination play and the pairing were looking like an increasing threat on the Hertford goal. Equally, Dave Hunt and Jamie Abbott were putting together some good passing moves for Hertford. On twenty-four minutes there was confusion in the Oxhey box and the defence was forced to put the ball behind, but the resulting corner came to nothing. Three minutes later, good approach play by Jets' Bull put Jamie Arthur in a good position. His powerful shot was goal-bound but Hertford 'keeper pulled off a magnificent save, tipping the ball over for a corner. This was taken by Bull but came to nothing.
Disaster struck for Hertford Town on the half hour mark. A free kick was awarded to Oxhey Jets in an innocuous-seeming position out on the left. The ball was floated into the Hertford box but its arrival caused havoc amongst the defence and resulted in the unfortunate debutant, Duncan Hamilton, heading into the back of his own net. This setback did not appear to unsettle Hertford unduly and two minutes later, good approach play by Owen Beale down the right led to him passing to Chris Spiteri. He took the ball into a more central position and pulled off a good strike on target, only to see it well saved by Blackburne.
The Jets began to dominate the game a little going into the final ten minutes of the half. Nathan Roberts controlled the ball well but shot straight at O'Neill. Shortly after, a Jets break from their own box led to them winning a corner at the other end, but this came to nothing. The home side were not however, having everything their own way and a speculative shot from distance by Chris Spiteri was only just wide of the target.
Ten minutes after the first setback, the visitors' defensive frailties were again exposed. A long clearance down field by Jets' keeper Blackburne found JAMIE ARTHUR. With the Hertford defence having apparently gone AWOL on their left side, decent control by the number eleven allowed him to place an accurate shot just inside the near post to make the score two nil. Two minutes later it was three nil. Another long clearance by the Jets, this time down their left, saw the ball fall to Jamie Arthur. He put a dangerous cross into the Hertford box, which found KARL BULL, who made no mistake in blasting his header into the back of the net. On the stroke of half time it could even have been four nil. Jamie Arthur found himself clear with only Louis O'Neill to beat, but the striker placed his weak shot straight into the arms of the grateful Hertford custodian.
Half Time Score: Oxhey Jets 3 Hertford Town 0
Oxhey had a chance directly from kick off at the beginning of the second half but the Hertford defence was alert to the danger. Hertford immediately countered with the ball falling to Attila Korsoveczki, but his cross was too powerful and evaded his team mates. After six minutes of the restart there was a collision between Oxhey's Lee Grace and Hertford's Dave Hunt. The Oxhey player seemed to come off worse and was down for some time, but Hunt had also received a cut to the head, which he had to have bandaged. The game was restarted after a few minutes but almost immediately Grace went down again, causing a further delay. Hertford used this opportunity to make a defensive substitution, replacing Jack Bruno with Tom Powell. Grace was also forced to leave the field of play and was replaced by Steve Brown.
Hertford Town appeared to emerge from the stoppages the stronger team. Almost on the hour mark a cross played into the Oxhey box caused total confusion in the defence and resulted in Blackburne pulling off a magnificent save - from one of his own defenders! Unfortunately for Hertford the resulting corner came to nothing, but it was not long before their dominance reaped its reward. In the 63rd minute a surging run down the right by Dave Hunt saw the impressive midfielder put in an excellent cross to OWEN BEALE. He controlled the ball well and finished the move with a good strike to make the score three one. Two minutes later the Jets made their second substitution, bringing on Tim O'Mara for goal scorer Bull, presumably as an attempt to shore up their increasingly fragile-looking defence.
Hertford continued to dominate however. They won a corner, which Owen Beale played into the box, but the Oxhey defence were able to avert any danger. On 72 minutes the frailties of the Oxhey defence were again exposed. A brilliant solo effort by OWEN BEALE saw the player calmly bring the ball into the box evading a number of defensive challenges, and coolly slot the ball just inside Blackburne's near post to make the score three two. A minute later the scores were level. Hertford Town won a free kick some distance out on their hosts' left, in what did not appear to be a position of danger. However, KEVIN KILROY had other ideas. His trademark strongly hit kick evaded Blackburne and found the back of the net just inside the home custodian's near post, much to the jubilance of the visiting supporters behind the goal.
With the score now all square the visitors continued to dominate, and with their tails up clearly thought they might even snatch a win. They soon won a corner, though this came to nothing, and then good movement by Dave Hunt through the centre saw the midfielder's shot hit slightly wide of the left post.
On seventy-nine minutes the home team made their third and final substitution, bringing on Ian Holdom for Paul Turner, again presumably to shore up the battered defence. Two minutes later however, Dave Hunt went on a mazy run, evading a number of defenders though the move finally fizzled out. The Blues were not having it all their own way as the hosts were still able to mount the occasional counter-attack. One of these resulted in a dispute between Oxhey's Jamie Arthur and Hertford skipper Joel Maybury. To the amazement of both sets of supporters the referee showed Arthur a straight red card (incidentally the only card of the match). It later transpired this was for spitting. Oxhey thus had to play the final minutes of the game with ten men.
The action was not over however. The Hertford players realised that home 'keeper Blackburne could be beaten from distance. First Attila Korsoveczki made a long-distance effort, but this was saved. Then Kevin Kilroy tried another long-distance shot, but his effort was wide of the left post.
On eighty-eight minutes Hertford made their second substitution, bringing on Andy Chapman for the hard-working Chris Spiteri. In the final minutes the big centre forward caused more anguish in the Oxhey defence as the Blues strove for that elusive fourth goal. The Jets' defending was becoming desperate in these last minutes. Well into injury time Hertford won a free kick wide on the left. Owen Beale's shot found Kevin Kilroy, but his powerful shot was well-blocked. A few more seconds of Hertford dominance followed, before the referee blew the final whistle.
Final Score: Oxhey Jets 3 Hertford Town 3
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