Molten Spartan South Midlands Premier Division Oxhey Jets 5 Colney Heath 1 COLNEY Heath boss Scott Lacey is determined to come out fighting after suffering his worst run of results since taking joint control of the team with Wesley Awad. Heath crashed to

Molten Spartan South Midlands Premier Division

Oxhey Jets 5 Colney Heath 1

COLNEY Heath boss Scott Lacey is determined to come out fighting after suffering his worst run of results since taking joint control of the team with Wesley Awad.

Heath crashed to a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Oxhey Jets on Saturday to condemn the Magpies to their third straight defeat and Lacey is determined to put that right.

"It's our worst stretch of results since we took over. Three losses in a row hasn't happened to us. We've become complacent. We went to second too early and we're not good enough," said Lacey.

"We've gone from a side that's one of the hardest working, and after the Hertford game we were one of the favourites to go on and do well but now we're just mid-table fodder.

"It's a big test for me and Wesley because the buck stops with us. We'll work harder and try and get better training sessions on. It's a good test to see if me and Wesley are up to the job and I'm sure we are. I'm looking forward to the next month - we can't have it all easy!"

Heath got off to the worst possible start when Nathan Roberts coolly fired home from the edge of the area with just nine minutes on the clock.

Tim O'Mara could have doubled Oxhey's lead on 15 minutes but Heath snuffed out the danger and they were soon back on level terms.

A long clearance put John Donoghue through on goal and he was bought down in the area by the Jets' 'keeper Walker. Carl Ashton stepped up to score from 12 yards and level the scores.

The Jets headed narrowly over from a Chris Ingham free kick and O'Mara had a goal ruled out for offside as they went about restoring their advantage.

Heath responded with a chance of their own but Walker denied them.

The Jets retook the lead eight minutes before the interval with a great individual goal from Adam Lowton. The Jets frontman flicked the ball over his head before collecting and slotting into the net.

Heath were dealt a hammer blow minutes before the interval when O'Mara grabbed a third firing home at the far post.

The game was put well beyond doubt on 54 minutes when Steve Brown lashed home from a corner.

Lowton was causing the Heath defence all sorts of problems and on 78 minutes he broke through the defence and fired past the 'keeper only to see his shot canon back off the post.

The rout was completed seven minutes from time when O'Mara latched onto the end of a pinpoint Karl Bull cross to head home the host's fifth goal.

This goal was made all the more important by the fact that the Jets move above Heath into third by virtue of their better goal difference of one.

"They changed their formation from five in midfield and three at the back to 4-4-2.

"We changed our formation in the first half too because we haven't defended well so we thought we'd have to outscore them," said Lacey.

"The goals before half time killed us. It's difficult, we're a side that's all about energy and passion and we didn't have that. We're not getting any luck at the moment but we're not making any luck. The simple fact is we're not working hard enough.

"They [Oxhey] are a good side who are strong all round. We were missing Richard Howard, Nicky Winger, Dean Shuttleworth, Neil Jordan and Jamie Eames. To have 50 per cent of your team missing is tough at this level. I don't know many teams at South Midlands level that could cope.

"I always look back to think how far we've come as a coaching team. If we can get out of this hole, because we are in one, it'll be good testimony for Heath.