A condition of Jersey’s acceptance into the F.A. Youth Cup this season was that they participated in a recognised league. This was met by entering the Combined Counties Under 18 Cup. The competition was established in 2017 and is named after two Combined Counties committee stalwarts of the 1980s/1990s, Peter Grant and Norman McLellan. It also accepts entries from clubs that do not participate in the Combined Counties Under 18 leagues. 20 of the 21 league teams entered plus 12 “outsiders”, including Jersey Bulls, for a convenient total of 32, so there were no first round byes.

Last season the competition was won by Kingstonian who this season reached the competition “proper” of the F.A. Youth Cup where they lost to Charlton Athletic. On the way they defeated Jersey’s conquerors, Horsham, 5-1. Fortunately, they cannot be met before the final. Runners-up last season were Godalming Town and should both sides survive they would meet Jersey in the semi-finals this season.

Jersey were drawn to travel to A.F.C. Croydon Athletic, bottom of the Eastern section of the league last season, and bottom again this with a record of 0-0-6 6-23. Jersey’s first team are familiar with their Mayfield stadium in Thornton Heath near Croydon which hosts two of their league rivals, A.F.C. Croydon Athletic as well as Balham.

Jersey retained the starting team that had played in the two F.A. Youth Cup matches with the goalkeepers continuing to “rotate” so it was Harry Gladdish between the “sticks” instead of Jacob Videgrain. On the bench Barry Beatson and Leighton Gilroy were included for the first time, in place of Ed Jeffries and Ben Shirley. Joining Beatson and Gilroy there were Ollie Walker and Conor O’Keeffe.

The wet day was superseded by a windy evening which made for heavy conditions as Croydon kicked off attacking the Entrance end.

Jersey dominated from the start and peppered the Croydon goal without getting many of their shots on target. Sammy Henia-Kamau, Harry Scott and Miguel Carvalho were all profligate. The deadlock was eventually broken just before the half hour when a cross by Fergus Boyle from the left was not fully cleared and Leandro Vieira drilled in a fifteen-yard cross shot into the bottom left corner.

Croydon lost their captain, Henry Kamara, when he twisted his right ankle in tackling Seaney McColgan. He had to hobble off to be substituted by Brian Nizer-Ushun and he was still limping badly when the match ended.

Just before the interval Henia-Kamau weaved his way into the box again only to be brought down by Assan Bah. Henia-Kamau took the penalty himself but put it at a comfortable height for a ‘keeper going the right way, which Sam Saward did, diving to his left.

There was still time before the break for Carvalho to put a ball across the face of the goal which no one finished off and for Scott to “score” from a yard before he was pulled up by Alan Hodge’s flag.

Croydon brought on Deshaan Vassell for Jay-Quan Hanson-Wilson for the second period but they were two goals down almost immediately. Joel McKinlay threaded a through ball to Scott in the right channel ten yards out which he finished off with a low cross shot.

Saward and slopping finishing kept the score down to two before McKinlay turned provider again just before the hour. A free-kick in front of the grandstand eluded attackers and defenders alike leaving the onrushing Henia-Kamau to tap in from a couple of yards at the back post as Croydon vainly appealed to Lewis Walmsley-Browne to raise his flag to indicate that the scorer was offside.

Shadrack Owusu was introduced by Croydon in place of Kieran Jones before Jersey gave a debut to Leighton Gilroy who came on alongside Conor O’Keeffe in a double substitution as they replaced Carvalho and Henia-Kamau. Five minutes later Beatson also made his first appearance as he took over from Seaney McColgan in midfield.

Within a couple of minutes coming on, Scott scored another offside “goal” with Walmsley-Browne spotting his offence on this occasion. Scott then wasted another good opportunity when he burst through the middle and with only Saward to beat blazed wildly over the bar.

Croydon made a fourth change with Jacob Okatako coming on for Matthius Bates-Russell but Jersey remained dominant. McKinlay continued to pull the midfield strings and a glorious diagonal through ball from the half way line set Gilroy free down the right channel but he shot straight at Saward.

Two other substitutes then combined for Jersey’s fourth goal. From near the halfway line Beatson broke way down the right wing and reached the byline before laying the ball on a plate for O’Keeffe to tap in from six yards out.

In the last ten minutes Jersey continued to waste chances on a night when more clinical finishing would have seen them reach double figures.

They now move into the last sixteen where they will host Raynes Park Vale. This has been arranged to be played at Springfield on December 3^rd after the F.A. Vase third round match against Athletic Newham.

A.F.C. Croydon Athletic U18s 0
Jersey Bulls U18s 4 (Leandro Vieira 27, Harry Scott 47, Sammy Henia-Kamau 57, Conor O’Keeffe 79) (Sammy Henia-Kamau penalty saved 43)

Attendance – 21

Programme – No

A.F.C. Croydon Athletic – Sam Saward, Denys Krynytskiy, Kieran Jones, Assan Bah, Devon Tacon, Henry Kamara (c), Matthius Bates-Russell (wore 17), Ousainou Bah, Oliver McCallum, Nazsi Phipps, Jay-Quan Hanson-Wilson
Substitutes – 7. Deshaan Vassell (for Hanson-Wilson 46), 12. Ausutin Odharo (not used), 14. Shadrack Owusu (for Jones 59), 15. Jacob Okotako (for Bates-Russell 71), 16. Brian Nizer-Ushun (for Kamara 39)

Claret (Light Blue trim to the right shoulder of shirts); GK Light Orange/Black/Black

Management – Ryan Fraser (Manager), Callum Robinson (Coach)

Jersey Bulls – Harry Gladdish, Damon Huckerby, Fergus Boyle, Joel McKinlay, Charlie Brennan, Taylor-Jack Woodley, Harry Scott, Leandro Vieira (vc), Sammy Henia-Kamau, Seaney McColgan-Byrne, Miguel Carvalho (c)

Substitutes – 12. Barry Beatson (for McColgan-Byrne 66), 14. Harry Walker (not used), 15. Conor O’Keeffe (for Carvalho 61), 16. Leighton Gilroy (for Henia-Kamau 61)

Red/White/Red; GK Yellow

Paul Renton (Manager), Gary Freeman (Assistant), Richard Hebert (GK Coach)

Formations
A.F.C. Croydon Athletic (4-4-2 R to L) 1; 3-6-5-2; 10-8-4-11; 9-17
Jersey Bulls (4-1-4-1 R to L) 1; 2-6-5-3; 4; 7-8-10-11; 9

Referee – Ashley Carley (Wimbledon)

Assistant – Alan Hodge (Shirley, Croydon) on the dug-outs side

Assistant –. Lewis Walmsley-Browne (Brixton) on the grandstand side

Cautions – none

Corners – A.F.C. Croydon Athletic (0) 1; Jersey Bulls (4) 8

Player of the Match Award – Joel McKinlay