Oxhey Jets paid the price for complacency and not playing to instructions in the second half as they were beaten 4-3 at Brook House.
The Jets management had questioned whether Saturday's Combined Counties League Division One game should have gone ahead because of concerns over one end of the pitch in the freezing weather, but the referee gave the fixture the green light.
The visitors started brightly and thought they may have taken the lead when a Dylan Hickman-Singh strike clattered the crossbar and bounced down, but it was impossible to tell whether the whole ball had crossed the line.
Jets then felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Andre Lopes was brought down, but their efforts were rewarded when Lopes’ header was touched over the line by Harry Brady.
Brook House’s more direct approach was working better in the conditions and they equalised, but their opponents went back in front when a fine Lopes cross was headed home by Owen Ayres.
However, the home side took advantage of some poor defending to level again before the break, but worse was to follow in the second half as the home side by-passed the pitch conditions and Jets failed to deal with the runners in behind as they fell 4-2 down.
Jets did rally but were angered when a second penalty decision went against them when Hickman-Singh was brought down, with the referee deciding to play an advantage.
Hickman-Singh did give the visitors hope by scoring with stoppage time looming, but they were unable to find an equaliser despite a frantic late rally.
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