Howden Clough 2 - 4 Westwood Jets
Sunday 4th October 2009
A tough game against a previously unbeaten side. But the Jets showed character to maintain their advantage each time the home team looked like coming back.
Playing with both slope and a following wind in the first half, the Jets looked to fashion a lead. The midfield quickly took control, lead by the busy, battling Ross Kelly. Connor Thompson lifted the ball over the Howden Clough full back for Dominic Anderson to collect and take round the goalkeeper. Adam Perry, Ross Kelly and Lewis Goldsborough worked the ball through midfield, it fell to Callum Armitage on the left but only midway into the opposition half. He lofted the ball towards the goal... and it bounced over the keeper and in! The Jets had been playing well - the overlapping by Jake Dawson and Callum, joined occasionally by Dominic, was particularly pleasing. But the manner the goals were scored in perhaps encouraged the Jets to take the over-head route more in the remainder of the half. This did not pay off and they were only able to go into the tricky-looking second half two-up.
After struggling to get into the Jets' half at all before the break, Howden Clough poured forward after it. The Jets held out well with watchfull goalkeeping from Jacob Ashbrook, strong interceptions from Matthew Wardman and Patrick Henry in central defence and tidy support from Adam and Callum at full back. But the pressure told and Howden Clough pulled one back. Good possession by the Jets, fresh enregy from Elliott Gelder and a brave reappearance from Kieran Walton provided some relief. It was a good spell against the conditions and, before long, James Leedale broke through, beat two defenders and put two goals back between the teams. The home side scrambled in another but a scampering run up the right from Connor Thompson finished with a goal to ease the nerves at the end of the game.