Jet Blast 23-11-08

November 21, 2008 by clint · Leave a Comment 

Our meeting with Newcastle back in September saw us win 6-4.

The game started at a frantic pace with Ben Lowe going close off the opening face off before Newcastle opened the scoring off the counter attack… Callum Davies netting after 32 seconds.
The Jets reply came just two shifts later, when Adam Elliott tied the game up, on the power play after 1.17 on a feed from his brother Craig Elliott after some hard work down low.

Kingston continued to pile pressure on the Vipers net throughout the first period and were duly rewarded on 10.35 when defenseman Jordan Davies fired home a wrist shot, assisted by Dan Sayer and Richard Haggar. Shots in the first period were 17-6 in favour of the Jets.

The second period continued in a similar way to the first, with the Jets dominating for a large proportion of the period. Richard Haggar added Kingston’s third goal after 27 minutes with a wrap around goal assisted by Dan Hackford and Mark Florence.

Ben Milhench extended the Jets lead to three goals, firing past the Vipers netminder with a wrist shot from the hash marks just before the end of the second period (39.18). Just twenty seconds later the Vipers reduced the deficit back to two after a defensive mix-up saw Graeme Robson poke the puck through Jets netminder Tristan Rodgers legs.

Newcastle came out early in the third period looking to catch the Jets on the back foot. However it was the Jets who opened the periods’ scoring with Dan Sayer ripping home a shot, assisted by Richard Haggar and Mark Florence.

The Vipers persistence finally paid off when Matt Hinkley scored two goals (45.26 & 50.30) setting up an interesting final ten minutes. Coach Andy Daintith called a time out to try and settle the team and help them reorganise.

Any potential nerves were settled four minutes later when Matt Jeffcock scored on a Craig Elliott assist from behind the net.

Since then, Jets have remained third from bottom of the league, with Blackburn & Newcastle below us. This season will see the bottom placed club relegated, and the second bottom team will play in a relegation / promotion play-off against the second placed North 2 team.

On Saturday we play in Sheffield, in the first of this weekends’ vital games. We have to make ground on Sheffield, and open up a gap over the bottom two.

Newcastle play at home to Blackburn on Saturday, who they beat in Blackburn for their only win this season.

Last weekend we were away in Flintshire. We took the cup points in some style, with Freeze unable to cope once our passing and movement had improved. Freeze had some penalty trouble and lost a couple of players.

I was amazed that when Craig was jumped by a player from the penalty bench, and a second player sat on him and punched the back of his helmet, then he was hacked in the back by a two handed axe like chop from above an opponents head…the linesmen and referee just stood back. Unbelievably, in the eleven minutes it took to sort out the penalties, the stick wielder escaped punishment.

Of concern was the nasty looking injury to Chris Jones of Freeze, who slid awkwardly into the boards and was stretchered off the ice in agony. We hear that he has ligament damage, and we wish him a full & speedy recovery.

Tristan had a great game for us, and was all smiles afterwards.

The lads have started to click now, and will be up for the points this weekend. Beachy has settled in, and it’s starting to come together now.
We really do not want to be sucked into a relegation battle, and the team know what’s needed.

Please play your part…
The lads have asked that you get out of the bar and into the seats downstairs. Remember last year when you helped push us on against Peterborough? Please come and make some noise down in the seats again…we really can’t hear you in the bar.

See you for a beer afterwards though?

Cheers!
Go Jets!

Clint.

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Jet Blast 9-11-08

November 6, 2008 by clint · Leave a Comment 

Last weekend saw Freeze win 6-1 in Bradford in the ENIHL League Two North. Freeze were disappointed to miss out on the top flight this season, and are determined to win the league and gain promotion to League One. They have started the season in tremendous league form, with 3 away wins notching up 26 goals with just 3 conceded! At home in the league they have 3 wins and a defeat (to Manchester) scoring 25 goals to 11 conceded. Saturday sees them play in Telford against the team tied with them at the top of the table.

In the Cup, they have lost at home to both Blackburn & Sheffield, and drawn with Solihull. They lost in Sheffield, and got an impressive 4-4 draw in Blackburn. However, the final buzzer saw match penalties (several of them) handed out.

We were in cup action last night in Sheffield, and after last weekends poor showing at home to Blackburn, this was a tough game. It’s clear we need a big win quickly. We are slipping behind in the league, and the cup is almost out of sight. I felt that last week we were very poor. We made Blackburn look like world beaters. (Actually, their net-minder probably is!)

By the way; I was impressed that the linesman was brave enough to bring the disgraceful spitting incident to the referees’ attention.

What is it with this player? We’ve picked up some dumb penalties over the years, but I haven’t seen any of our lads spit at an opponent, and then smash the dressing room window! He may well be lucky to be allowed back in the rink. Very sad really. You may remember that this is the player who tried to climb out of the penalty box at Blackburn to fight at the final whistle. And was sent out in his previous game in Hull, after he had stripped in the penalty box and offered an obscene gesture. Oh, and the guy sat on his own after his remarkable outburst towards me is apparently related! Nevertheless, we got beaten good and proper, and we’ll need to get something this evening.

Congratulations to Kieran Beach who makes his Jets debut this evening, and will no doubt impress a few people with his movement & vision. He’s a very quiet lad, and will develop his considerable skills further with the Jets to establish himself as a regular ENIHL player. He has trained with us for some time, and will enjoy his time with us I’m sure.

He’s the first of a handful of lads who can move up this year. Over the next two years we will have up to 30 squad players at ENIHL level. Exciting times.

Monday saw the KJIHC AGM take place at the rink. This was the perfect opportunity for you to ask, question, challenge and contribute to the clubs’ future. I am aware of the many issues that we face, and aware of the concerns of a number of people who wonder why the Jets are part of the KJIHC.
I guess they had some more pressing issues to attend to on that evening. I personally drove 120 miles in total to attend.

Just a personal view; but if you aren’t there to vote, or stand for committee, or propose changes, then it’s perhaps best not to question the massive effort that a few people contribute towards the future of this club. Do I have issues with some of the decisions made? Yes, I do. However in listening to the issues faced, I better understand the decisions made. If you weren’t represented at the meeting, perhaps you’ll think twice before offering an opinion. I’d be happy to speak with anyone about the above opinion.

Well it’s game time, and we need to pull on our winning trousers!

See you for a beer afterwards?

Cheers!
Go Jets!

Clint.
A stone & 1 lb lighter than a month ago!

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Jet Blast 01-11-08

November 1, 2008 by clint · Leave a Comment 

The ENIHL Cup has seen us lose 6-8 at home to Solihull Barons, and draw 3-3 away in Solihull with just two lines. Blackburn have lost a cup game 9-0 in Sheffield, drawn 4-4 at home to Flintshire, and won in Flintshire 5-7.

We met the Hawks here two weeks ago, and started brightly with a goal on 2:32 from Matt Jeffcock. Then a Hawks tripping penalty was punished with a Milhench goal a minute later.
This was all too much for one visiting spectator, who after a comical exchange was suddenly sat on his own!

After a powerplay reply from Tim McKay at 6:20, Florence scored his first of the evenings’ brace at 12:45…again with the Hawks having a player in the penalty box.

Ex Jet Chris Arnone seemed to have seen something wrong with the goal, and after an approach to the referee he was given two quick 10 minute misconduct penalties, and left the game.
The game was refereed by Louise Cranstone, and both teams were enormously frustrated by her judgements.

Jets went shorthanded as both Spurgeon & Cobley picked up penalties before the break, but a loss of focus on an attempted clearance by Hawks goalie Thirkettle fed Florence for his second, despite the 5-3 player advantage for the Hawks. Jets led 4-1, and Thirkettle began a long trudge back to his bench to be replaced by Baxendale.

At the end of the period, Hawks’ Bentham seemed unlucky to pick up a 10 minute misconduct penalty, as he fired the puck down the ice at the final whistle of the period.

At 24:01, Hawks’ Davies & Jets’ Dan Sayer had a disagreement, and as both entered the penalty box, Davies offered an obscene gesture. Then, in true Ned Braden style, he began to remove his kit in the penalty box, whilst goading the smiling Sayer. Ladies turned away. Fortunately, the officials spotted the behaviour, and Davies was given a match for the obscene gesture.

A goal on 29:23 from former Jet Carl Slater, was followed by Dunn and Bentham having a disagreement…before Craig Elliott scored at 38:22. End of the second, Jets led 5-2.

Hawks’ captain Michael Brunton added a third goal for the visitors at 50:16.
Then in the final stages, Craig Elliott & Richard Bentham collided on the blue-line, and Elliott stayed down. He’ll be out for 4 weeks with knee ligament damage.
With the penalty count 40 for Jets, and 83 for Hawks, Jets were back to winning ways.

Last weekend, the Jets were in league action in Coventry. We lost at home to them 2-8 recently.
This will have been a very tough test, and with the game clashing with our U-18s game, Ziggy, Hacko & Dunny unavailable, Haggar and Jordan gone, Craig injured…we’ll have had just 11 skaters.
(This report is being written the day before that game!)

Enjoy this evenings’ game, and please join us afterwards in The Whittington & Cat.

Cheers!
Slim-Clint.

Ps…Our next game is away in the cup at Sheffield next Saturday evening, and Sundays’ home cup game is with Flintshire Freeze at 5pm.

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