AT LEAST St Peter's knew things would get better when defending champions Oxhey Jets arrived at Toulmin Drive on Saturday to give them a bit of a lesson for the first 20 minutes of the new season.

"We couldn't get the ball off them," said manager John Welch. "They're virtually the same team as last year; they don't panic, they pass it out from the back and the movement of the front two is just superb.

"We gave them a fight, but you can't live with them the entire game."

Welch's team were fortunate to be only one down after the first quarter, but made the most of their luck to level through a Lee Godwin penalty after Frank Jowle had been felled.

And St Peter's nearly had the temerity to take the lead with an end-to-end move which kick-started the second-half and ended with Andrew Findlay rounding the Jets' keeper and, from an acute angle, firing against the post.

Suitably stirred, Oxhey flexed their muscles with two more goals in the final quarter to ensure their campaign began with the first sure-footed step.

"I think we'll beaten a lot of sides if we play that well," continued Welch.

August 23, 2002 11:00