Athletic kicked off the 21/22 season with a visit to Oxhey Jets who have been touted as one of the title favourites and always provide a competitive opponent.

Both sides started brightly but without any clear cut chances being created. After a quarter of an hour Chris Blunden received the ball on the edge of the box, turned and shot but saw his effort deflected for a corner.

On the half hour mark came the first talking point. A great through ball found Ollie Butler in space who span and chipped the keeper from just inside the box. Our supporter George Bogdan was perfectly in line to capture the move on video but unfortunately the lineman decided to show everybody his new flag and the goal was ruled out, despite Ollie being played on by two defenders and about 3 yards! Im sure these things will even themselves out during the season. Perhaps we had our own bit of luck shortly afterwards when claims for a Jets penalty were waived away and the referee brought play back for an earlier foul outside the box. Half time came and the sides went in goalless.

There was a delayed start to the second period when the floodlights wouldnt turn on and perhaps this threw us out with a mistake in defence punished by the home team within a minute of eventually getting going. This didnt deter Athletic. Kieran Turner hit one from 30 years forcing the keeper into a smart save and he was on his toes to tip an Ollie Butler effort onto the bar shortly afterwards.

The equaliser came on 65 minutes. Turner played a nice through ball for Tommy Twelves to run onto and poke the ball past the advancing Oxhey custodian.

With 10 to play a teasing cross was driven in from the left but a lunging Chris
Blunden just failed to connect to score against his former club.

Reflecting on the game manager Ryan Sturges said I was pleased with our shape, tempo and the chances created, we definitely feel unlucky not to have picked up all three points against a very strong Jets side who will be a dangerous force this season.

TAFC

David Saunders, Harry Cornick, Cam Brooks, James
Ferguson, George Carbery, Ollie Butler, Tommy Twelves, Emmanual Gbejuade, Kieran Turner, Chris Blunden,
Frankie Hercules

Subs Joe Chott, Chris Vardy

Attendance 126


*Report taken from Oxhey Jets website*

Oxhey Jets and Tring Athletic both have their first point of the new Spartan South Midlands Premier Division season on the board after a tightly contested 1-1 draw last night.

Hosts Jets, starting their 50th season, got their noses in front in the early stages of the second half when Louis Stead capitalised on a mistake to score his sides first goal of the new campaign.

But a match that saw multiple chances at either end saw Tring equalise after 65 minutes through Tommy Twelves when he prodded past the advancing keeper after latching onto a pass through the Jets defence following a good build-up.

One of the major talking points had come in the first half when Lewis Putman was held back by a defender, but the referee played on as he broke free, only for the Jets player to be brought down by the same player in the penalty area.

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