Oxhey Jets 0 Edgware Town 0

Spartan South Midlands Premier Division

High-flying Edgware overcame an awful pitch to gain a useful point on Saturday.

A ploughed field would have been more conducive to good football than the poor surface faced by the title-chasing Wares at Oxhey.

Goalkeeper Matt Fletcher, in for the suspended Rob Blackburne, was called into action early on, though he easily caught Lee Grace's free-kick.

At the other end, Phil Kane shot just wide.

On 20 minutes, a good move by Adam Wallace and Richard Morton sent Steve Brady in on goal, but his shot was tipped over. The subsequent corner came out to Lee Gardner, but his volley also cleared the bar.

Morton then tried one of his trademark 20-yard rockets and the home keeper did well to turn it away from the bottom corner.

Edgware were not having it all their own way, and Colin Jenkins saw an effort turned behind by Jason Ferne. Fletcher then denied Tim O'Mara with five minutes of the first half to go, while Gary Beadle was well wide from distance.

Morton almost put the visitors in front when his free-kick from ten yards outside the area looped over the defensive wall and dipped inches over the bar. He had another chance when Wallace was brought down on the edge of the area, but this time he thundered the ball against the wall and it went out for a corner.

The second half was the same as the first, with both teams dangerous on the counter-attack, but with the pitch proving a real problem for the players. Brady tried an effort from long range and Gavin Hart set Mark Buchanan free. When the defender found Morton in the centre, his volley was well held by the keeper.

Wayne Gladdy had a chance for Oxhey which he put wide when Fletcher hit a goal kick to his feet after the hour.

Just before the end, Oxhey's Steve Stratford was sent off for pushing Brady, though it remained nip-and-tuck in the remaining minutes.