Stotfold see off Oxhey Jets

Twenty minutes into the SSML Premier fixture and there was a pattern starting to emerge to the game.

Oxhey were playing percentage football and hitting long balls into good areas trying to turn the Stotfold defence and run in behind.

The visitors, on the other hand, were playing the far more considered football trying to play to feet and move the ball quick with Paul Morris and Michael Simpson both pulling out tricks in tight pressure situations.

On the half hour mark the first clear cut chance on goal came courtesy of a slide rule pass up the left hand channel for Tommy Oram to cut in on the angle, only to see the keeper close the angle and make a good save.

That was about as good as it got for the first half until the dying seconds when a deep cross from Mark Ellis on the right was met by a towering header by Tommy Carroll that crept just inches over.

Summing up the first half Stotfold played the better quality football but all in patches and Stotfold dominated early in the second half with Redha Zekri going close with a header from a Mark Ellis centre. That, coupled with a little more intensity, had Stotfold looking the more likely to find a winner.

On the hour mark Stotfold rang the changes and introduced youngsters Ross Maddox and George Florence.

A Paul Morris pot shot from distance tested the keeper whilst at the other end Oxhey offered very little with Adam Harpur pretty much redundant in the Stotfold goal.

Then on 67 minutes Paul Morris, who was a thorn in the Oxhey side all night, released Ross Maddox. He drove into the box on the angle and smashed the ball across the keeper and hit the inside of the far post for 1-0.

The rest of the game continued in the same vein, pretty much one way traffic for all of the second half. Chances fell to Jaiden Irish who put his volley just over the bar and man of the match Morris dragged a shot wide with just the keeper to beat.