Jersey returned to the Mayfield Stadium, Thornton Heath, Croydon a fortnight after beating the tenants, Balham, 2-0. The hosts, like Balham, were clad in maroon and had gained much media coverage over the close season when the club was taken over by a consortium that included former Crystal Palace player Wilfried Zaha and local music rapper Michael Owuo Junior, better known as “Stormzy”.

Last season Jersey had done the double over Croydon, who finished 15^th, 2-1 at Springfield and then 2-0 in the return in late March. This season the hosts were lying 14^th with a 1-2-2 2-5 record but had won through two rounds of the F.A. Cup before going down 0-2 at Marlow. They had yet to play in the Vase. Jersey were now 3^rd.

James Queree and Frank Tobin were both still missing as Jersey made two changes to Saturday’s team. Jonny Le Quesne came in for the unavailable Luke Campbell which meant Jay Giles was captain for the night. Additionally, Francis Lekimamati returned in place of Miguel Carvalho who was on the bench along with Ben Le Rougetel and emergency cover, assistant manager Kevan Nelson.

The Croydon team was formed of a mixture of burly defenders and speedy attackers. Notable amongst the latter was Brandon Pierrick who made two substitute appearances in the Premiership for Crystal Palace only three seasons ago.

In damp and much cooler (18C) conditions than Saturday’s scorcher Jersey kicked off attacking the Entrance End. They were soon on the front foot with Jack Boyle twice not fully connecting with shots that enabled Oshane Brown to save both. Skipper Dan Vaughan retaliated for Croydon with a long range effort that skipped off the damp turf to test Euan Van der Vliet. Boyle then did well in robbing Michael Phillips but took too many touches and his placed shot was pushed away by Brown.

There was a penalty appeal ten minutes before the interval when Lekimamati was pulled down and Brown then saved from Bickley with an outstretched leg. Van der Vliet worried Jersey supporters twice before half time when he played out short passes that were intercepted. He was fortunate Pierrick did not capitalise on the first.

Immediately after the interval Bickley hit Brown’s left post. Giles had a long range shot deflected for a corner and Brown thwarted Bickley again. At three-quarter time Le Quesne broke down the right and put in a long cross towards the far post which Vaughan, sliding in, just managed to deflect away from the incoming Bickley.

Vaughan blocked Bickley again with four minutes left before the only goal of the game eventually arrived in added time. In a repeat of the move twenty-five minutes before Le Quesne now found Bickley as the striker arrived just ahead of Vaughan for an important tap in at the far post that lifted Jersey into second place.

The joint Croydon managers were sacked the following day.

A.F.C. Croydon Athletic 0; Jersey Bulls 1 (Lorne Bickley 90+2)

Attendance – 127

Programme – Yes (£ T.B.A., pages T.B.A.)

A.F.C. Croydon Athletic – Oshane Brown, David Boateng, James Teodorescu, Kervant Serbonij, Daniel Vaughan (c), Darryl Siaw, Khari Oriogun, Michael Phillips, Raheem Sterling-Parker, Shawniki Clement-Peters, Pierrick “Brandon Pierrick” Keutcha
Substitutes – 12. Rashid Kamara (for Sterling-Parker 71), 14. Cian McCarthy (for Serbonij 46), 15. Kazzeem Richards (not used), 16. Michael Redfearn (for Oriogun 57), David Boorer (sub GK) (not used)

Maroon (Sky Blue shoulders)/Maroon/Maroon; GK Green/Black/Black

Kevin Rayner and Lee Roots (Joint Managers), Adam Groom (Assistant), Garry Henry, Ibrahim Kallon and Denis Lawton (Coaches), Jack Marney (Squad Player)

Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet, Jonny Le Quesne, Jay Giles (c), Sammy Sutcliffe, Harry Curtis, Adam Trotter, Fraser Barlow, Luke Watson, Lorne Bickley, Jack Boyle, Francis Lekimamati
Substitutes – 14. Ben Le Rougetel (for Boyle 90+4), 15. Kevan Nelson (not used), 17. Miguel Carvalho (for Barlow 74), only three substitutes

White/Light Blue/White; GK All Yellow

Gary Freeman (Manager), Kevan Nelson (Assistant)

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

Referee – Calum Edgcombe (Sutton)

Assistants – Gareth Mays (Tadworth) on the dug outs side and Isaac Nsubuga (Croydon) on the grandstand side

Cautions – Dan Vaughan (AFCC) 44, Jack Boyle (JB) 47, Adam Trotter (JB) 60, Michael Phillips (AFCC) 61, Jonny Le Quesne (JB) 73

Corners – A.F.C. Croydon Athletic (2) 2; Jersey Bulls (1) 3

Player of the Match – Harry Curtis

Added Time – 2.25 & 5.05 (7.30)