For the final Manchester, now in their Newton Heath colours, made just two changes to their starting line up with Regan Linney and Harry McGee joining Max McCarthy up front. In contrast Jersey made six personnel changes and another positional one as they lined up in their seemingly unlucky black and white halved shirts with a relatively inexperienced defensive quartet.

Manchester kicked off attacking the Robin Hood end and the potent Northern front three were soon making inroads into the home defence. They were awarded a penalty after just six minutes when Joe Kilshaw brought down McCarthy. Skipper Charlie Ennis took the kick but Euan Van der Vliet dived to his right and saved it with his legs.

Another six minutes and another penalty was awarded when Jonny Le Quesne brought down Linney just inside the box. Ennis again stepped up and went to his left again with Van der Vliet going the wrong way this time.

It was soon a two goal margin when an excellent first time through ball from Ennis put Linney clear down the right channel. Having advanced to the six yard line and drawn Van der Vliet he played the ball inside for McCarthy to finish off the sweeping move.

Just before the half hour the front three combined for a third. McCarthy flicked the ball on for Linney who took it to the left byline before pulling it back for McGee to force home despite the best efforts of Van der Vliet. Within minutes McGee had his second. Put clear down the centre he rounded Van der Vliet on the edge of the box and rolled home Manchester’s fourth.

Jersey pulled one back shortly afterwards when Lorne Bickley was brought down by Josh Askew in the box. Ruben Mendes despatched the penalty low left to just elude Dan Lavercombe’s dive. McCarthy immediately responded to bring a good save from Van der Vliet before Jake Prince was set up by Francis Lekimamati three minutes before half time, but he could not keep his balance and lifted his shot over the bar.

After the hour Linney scored a superb fifth for Manchester. A raking forward pass from Ennis found Linney galloping goalward down the left channel and an excellent first touch put him clear of the tracking Le Quesne and gave him the time to pick his spot past the home ‘keeper.

Lekimamati stretched Lavercombe with a curling cross shot before McGee completed his hat-trick. Linney had a shot well saved by Van der Vliet but McGee seized upon the rebound, evaded Sammy Sutcliffe as he dived in, and rifled the ball in to top right corner of the net.

In the last ten minutes substitute Darryl Mvalo put a volley narrowly wide and Jake Prince’s shot from twenty yards had to be pushed over by Lavercombe but it was F.C.United of Manchester who ran out convincing winners of the inaugural Bulls Cup.

Jersey Bulls 1 (Ruben Mendes pen 35);

F.C. United of Manchester 6 (Charlie Ennis pen 12, Max McCarthy 18, Harry McGee 29, 32 & 77, Regan Linney 63)

Attendance – 333

Programme – covering all four matches, 32pp, £2

Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet (wore 21), Jonny Le Quesne, Josh Coutanche, Jack Lumsden, Harry Curtis, Joe Kilshaw, Francis Lekimamati, Adam Trotter (c), Lorne Bickley (wore 16), Ruben Mendes, Jake Prince (wore 20)

Substitutes – 9. Darryl Mvalo (for Lekimamati 71), 12. Sammy Sutcliffe (for Lumsden 46), 14. Sol Solomon (for Bickley 46), 15. Kieren Stephens (for Mendes 67), 17. John Lloyd (for Coutanche 76), 18. Frank Tobin (not used), 19. Max Thompson (not used), 21 Richard Hebert (GK not used)

Note – Pierce Roche and James Carr who played on Saturday were not nominated for this match.

Black & White Halves / Black/ White; GK All Green

Gary Freeman (Manager), Kevan Nelson (Assistant), Dan Seviour (Coach), Richard Hebert (GK Coach)

F.C. United of Manchester – Dan Lavercombe (wore 13), Clive Smith, Josh Askew, Tom Murray, Jan Palinkas, Curtis Jones, Alex Wollerton, Charlie Ennis (c), Regan Linney, Harry McGee, Max McCarthy.

Substitutes – 12. Guy Hall (for Askew 64), 14. Adam Poole (for Smith 74), 15. Will Unsworth (not used), 16. Toby Humphries (for McCarthy 64), 17. Jack Bennett (for McGee 79)
Note - Jack Anderton and Edy Maceio who played on Saturday were not nominated for this match.

Yellow/Green/Yellow; GK All Grey

Neil Reynolds (Manager), Jimmy Deadman (Kit), Olivia Smith (Physio.), Joe Winskill (Kit Assistant), Nigel Brookes (Junior Kit).

Formations
Jersey Bulls (4-4-2 R to L) 1; 2-5-4-3; 7-6-8-10; 16-20
F.C. United of Manchester (4-3-3 R to L) 1; 2-5-6-3; 7-8-4; 9-11-10

Referee – Callum Peter (Guildford)

Assistants – Harry Walker (Jersey) on the dug-out side and Andy Norman (Jersey) on the grandstand side.

Drinks breaks (31C) – 22 and 68 minutes

Cautions – None

Corners – Jersey Bulls (2) 4, F.C. United of Manchester (1) 4

Player of the Match Award – Harry McGee (Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet)

Player of the Tournament - also Harry McGee (F.C. United of Manchester)
although his teammates Max McCarthy and Charlie Ennis were strong contenders
Trophy Presentation – Louise McNamee (Business Development Manager of the sponsors, Grant Thornton) assisted by Richard Horswell (Jersey Bulls C.E.O.). Trophy to the winning team, medals to the winning squad, mementoes to both U.K. referees and both local linesmen in the final

Sunday 17th July 2022 (12p.m.)

Bulls Cup Third Place Match

Hashtag United v Cray Wanderers

The losing teams from Saturday returned in new kits for a noon kick-off, in even hotter conditions than the previous days, to play off for the mythical bronze medals.

Hashtag kicked off attacking the Robin Hood end and took the lead early on in bizarre circumstances. A throw in was volleyed back by Toby Aromolaran to Joni Vukaj on the edge of the box. He appeared to skew his volley only to see it drop in to the bottom right of the goal past a static ‘keeper.

The same player doubled the lead after quarter of an hour. Chasing a ball forward down the left channel with Jordan Agosthe he easily outmuscled the defender and from twelve yards shot past the advancing Jacob Russell. His celebratory amateur gymnastics on the rail behind the goal turned comedic when his back flip failed badly but, fortunately, he did not do himself any damage.

Chris Dickson, who worked tirelessly up front for Cray, had a half chance five minutes later. Forced wide right by Hashtag’s ‘keeper Anthony Page, Dickson only managed to find the side netting.

In first half added time Russell pulled off an excellent save from Aromolaran but when the subsequent corner was half cleared to the same player he rifled a twenty yard shot into the roof of the net to give Hashtag a three goal lead at the interval.

The second half seemed to be meandering to a quiet close when a long ball forward to the edge of the box was not dealt with decisively by Joe Debell and ‘keeper Carlos Simeon. Dickson nipped between the them only to be tripped by Simeon’s right arm. Anthony Cook stepped up for the resultant penalty which he put high down the middle, as Simeon went to his left, for a Cray consolation.

Cray narrowed the gap further deep into added time. Skipper Sam Wood took a free kick thirty yards out on the right and it was met by Dickson eight yards out by the far post. His header flew in to the top left corner past the flailing right hand of Simeon to give the score greater respectability for Cray but there was too little time remaining for them to attempt to take the match to a shoot-out.

Hashtag United 3 (Joni Vukaj 6 & 15, Toby Aromolaran 45+2):

Cray Wanderers 2 (Anthony Cook pen 86, Chris Dickson 90+4)

Attendance – 64

Programme – covering all four matches, 32pp, £2

Hashtag United – Anthony Page, Matthew Wooldridge, Ben Brookes, Eli Benoit, Harry Haysom (c), Max Cornhill, Jermaine Francis, Mekhi Hyde, Toby Aromolaran, Joni Vukaj, Pedro Carvalho

Substitutes – 12. Eman Okunja (for Vukaj 78), 13. Carlos Simeon (for Page 76), 14. Billy Willis (for Brookes 76), 15. Tommy Sykes (for Francis 85), 16. Jake Lindsey (for Carvalho 76), 17. Joe Debell (for Benoit 46), 18. Max Harbrow (also wore 20) (for Wooldridge 84), 19. Kojo Apenteng 85, 20. Nathan Wilson (for Cornhill 84)

Note – Alex Teniola, Percy Kiangebeni and Iyiola Adebayo (w/d) who played on Saturday were not nominated for this match

Lilac (White shoulders) / Lilac / Purple; GK All Pink

Jay Devereux (Manager), Joe Keith (Assistant), Paul Prosser (Coach), Steve Carmichael-Brown (Physio.), Ellis Deveruex (Kit), Marcus Stamp (Media)

Cray Wanderers – Jacob Russell, Freddie Barton, Tom Hanfrey (wore 18), Mitchell Chapman, Sinn’kaye Christie, Jordan Agosthe, Sam Wood (c), Billy Crook, Chris Dickson, Anthony Adesite, Kevin Dance

Substitutes – 12. Alex Bentley (for Chapman 62), 13. Shaun Rowley (GK not used), 14. Harold Joseph (for Agosthe 62), 15. Tom Derry (for Adesite 62), 16. Nyren Clunis (for Dance 62), 17. Sam Skeffington (not used), 21. Anthony Cook (for Crook 68), 22. Jacob Munting (not used, again)

Note – Jalen Jones and Danny Bassett who played on Saturday were not nominated for this match

White (Black sleeves) / Black / White (Black tops); GK All Orange

Neil Smith (Manager), Tim O’Shea (Assistant), Matt Longhurst (Coach), Alfie George (GK Coach), Paddy Gray (Kit), Emily Sawyer (Physio.)

Formations
Hashtag United (4-4-2 R to L) 1; 2-4-5-3; 11-8-6-7; 9-10
Cray Wanderers (4-4-2 R to L) 1; 2-5-6-18: 7-4-8-11; 9-10

Referee – Ollie Kaya (Wokingham)

Assistants – Gareth Walker (Jersey) on the dug-out side and Richard Dyer (Jersey) on the grandstand side.

Drinks breaks (31C) – 22 and 65 minutes

Caution – Chapman (Cray Wanderers) 32

Corners – Hashtag United (3) 3; Cray Wanderers (1) 2

Player of the Match Award – Joni Vukaj