An incredible solo goal from substitute David Barbakadze earned Oxhey Jets an excellent 1-1 draw against third-placed Penn & Tylers Green last night – but the hosts were aggrieved they were denied the chance to secure the win when they were not awarded a clear penalty.
Trailing to Matthew Ayres’ 11th-minute goal, there were six minutes of normal time remaining when Barbakadze picked up the ball just inside the opposition half and embarked on a mazey run into the opposition area before slotting home to score his first goal for the club, sparking jubilant scenes on the touchline.
David Barbakadze slots home his incredible solo equaliser for Oxhey Jets. (Image: John Elliott) The hosts poured forward in search of the winner and looked set to be awarded a spot-kick when George Rice was clearly pushed in the back when he was about to shoot following a goalmouth scramble, but the referee remained unmoved.
Our goal from last night!
David picks the ball from just inside the half and cuts through the Penn defence to grab his first goal for the club in just his substitute appearance.
Not a bad way to open your account✈️ https://t.co/eph0uufoud pic.twitter.com/2IgH0dNIk7
— Oxhey Jets FC 1st Team (@oxheyjetsfc) April 2, 2025
The visitors showed why they are in the Combined Counties League Division One play-off places from the opening whistle, playing precise football at an impressive pace.
Their young opponents tried their best to live with it and contain, but they were much the chasing side and fell behind when Ayres twisted and fired home.
George Rice is pushed in the back in the incident which Jets felt should have resulted in a penalty. (Image: John Elliott) Despite conceding an early goal, Jets dug in and enjoyed some promising passages of play, but were largely reliant on defending strongly and trying to spring counter-attacks.
The management staff tinkered at the break and the second-half display belied a team that had gone 10 games without a win in all competitions prior to beating Colliers Wood United 2-1 on Saturday as they increasingly pushed forward, forcing P&T to dig in.
This save denied Jets an injury-time winner. (Image: John Elliott) Their efforts were finally rewarded by Barbakadze’s stunning effort but there was almost a sense of disappointment at the final whistle following the calibre of the display against one of the best teams in the division.
