Non-League and Academy football writer

I was at this Combined Counties Football League Division One fixture between Oxhey Jets FC and newly promoted side Windsor & Eton FC, at Adrian Flux Insurance Boundary Stadium on Tuesday evening. This was both side’s second league fixture of the 2024/25 season. Oxhey Jets lost 4-1 at home to newly promoted side Staines & Lammas (Middlesex), on Saturday. Windsor & Eton won 3-0 away to Penn & Tylers Green, on the same day. This step 6 match was won 1-0 by the home side – Oxhey Jets. An early chance in the match, came the way of the away side. Following some good skill on the right-hand side of the Oxhey Jets penalty area from Jatinder Liddar, he passed the ball to Jemel Johnson (he was also inside of the box), but his effort went over the goal.

After Windsor & Eton player Ethan Kitching had gone forward with the ball down the right flank, the full-back delivered a cross towards the near post of the Oxhey Jets goal, with Jemel Johnson then hitting an effort not very far wide of the goal. Oxhey Jets’ first real chance of the game arrived soon after that chance for the visiting side. Tom Reid’s good lofted forward pass found Elliot Harris’ run down the left-hand side of the Windsor & Eton box. However, the centre-forward’s low effort, from what was a good chance, went just wide of goalkeeper Giordano Zabotti’s left-hand post, and behind for a goal-kick. In what was quite an even game, Oxhey Jets were starting to create some more goalscoring chances.

After the home side had won the ball in midfield, Oxhey Jets player George Rice would pass the ball to Elliot Harris, on the edge of the Windsor & Eton penalty area. However, his low effort went wide of the goal. Both the home side and Windsor & Eton were trying to control the game in the central areas of the pitch. Following some good work from Windsor & Eton player Bakai Manneh, who gave the ball to Jemel Johnson on the edge of the Oxhey Jets box, Johnson would have an effort on goal which was parried by goalkeeper Lewis Lavin. Jatinder Liddar would then hit an effort over the goal, on the follow-up (also from inside of the penalty area).

In the 32nd minute of the game Oxhey Jets took the lead. A deflected free-kick (from the left side of the Windsor & Eton half) was headed back across the goal by an Oxhey Jets player, to George Rice, who headed the ball into the goal, 1-0. Oxhey Jets would almost double their lead soon after that opening goal of the game. A good ball into the Windsor & Eton box from Oliver Pope, found Harry Brady, whose headed effort hit the crossbar, before going behind. Just before half-time the impressive Tom Hennah delivered a low cross towards Oxhey Jets goalkeeper’s near post, with Ben Catt flicking an effort towards the goal, which was gathered by Lewis Lavin. Early on in the second half, Oxhey Jets defender Harry Brady glanced a ball (from a free-kick) into the Windsor & Eton box wide, from Elliot Harris’ delivery.

Windsor & Eton continued to try and get back into the game. After Jatinder Liddar had hit an effort from the right-hand side of the Oxhey Jets box, over their goal, at the opposite end of the pitch (a couple of minutes later) Tom Reid hit a decent effort from over 20 yards out, over the Windsor & Eton goal. Windsor & Eton player Ross McKernan then hit a good curling free-kick effort from a difficult angle on the right-hand side of the Oxhey Jets half, against the top of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post, surprising the Oxhey Jets players. After receiving the ball on the right-hand side of the home team’s penalty area, Windsor & Eton substitute Shaquille Johnson would hit an effort over the goal. Then, as the visiting side continued to try and break down a solid defence, Jatinder Liddar received the ball in the same area of the Oxhey Jets box, as Shaquille Johnson had. However, despite showing good close control with the ball under pressure, the Windsor & Eton winger hit a powerful effort over Lewis Lavin’s goal. 

This was proving to be quite an even game of football, especially during the second half of the match. As two goalscoring chances for Oxhey Jets followed. Substitute Andre Lopes would glance a difficult headed chance following a lofted ball into the away team’s box, into the arms of Giordano Zabotti. The second chance/effort for Oxhey Jets in as many minutes, was a good, moving effort from David Lopes, from 20 yards out. However, his low effort on goal was well saved by Giordano Zabotti. Late on in game as it approached the 90 minute mark of the match, a mistimed short free-kick on the left-hand side of the pitch from Oxhey Jets, allowed Jatinder Liddar to get to the ball. He would surge forward at pace with the ball down the right flank, into the Oxhey Jets penalty area. However, Jatinder Liddar’s effort was well closed down and saved by the impressive Lewis Lavin, before Tom Hennah hit an effort over from the edge of the penalty area, on the follow-up.

Windsor & Eton would really push for a very late equaliser, during the substantial amount of added time that had been added on by the referee. Following on from Jamie Griggs’ lofted ball to Shaquille Johnson at the back post of the Oxhey Jets box, the Windsor & Eton player would have an effort which was well turned behind by Lavin, before another good chance arrived. Tom Hennah’s well delivered free-kick from the right-hand side of the pitch, was headed over at the back post by a teammate, just before Windsor & Eton came so close to scoring a very late equaliser, from the very last action of the game. As captain Ben Hutchings headed a corner-kick against Lewis Lavin’s crossbar, in the final moments of the game. This was a very competitive game of football, which I personally think could well have been won by either side on the night, with the way that the match went.

For Oxhey Jets I thought that David Lopes was their player of the match, after a fine performance. However, Oxhey Jets goalkeeper Lewis Lavin was another player who I thought had a really fine game, for the home side. However, my player of the match was Windsor & Eton player Tom Hennah. Regardless of where he played on the left-hand side of the pitch (he started the game at left-back) his surging forward runs, creativity on the ball and good balance to his game, really impressed me.