The league leaders (5-1-0 10-3) first real home game as a fire and pitch renovations (not too successful at the Cemetery End) had caused them to play their previous "homes" at Cobham and then Merstham.

Jersey made four changes to the team that had won 4-0 at Herne Bay on Tuesday. Euan Van der Vliet, Luke Campbell, back from injury, Joe Kilshaw and Jamie Wating replaced Toby Ritzema, Daniel Jinadu and Jay Giles, who were all on the bench plus unavailable skipper James Queree. Jonny Le Quesne took over the armband. James Carr and James Sunley were also substitutes.

Croydon were unchanged from the team that drew 1-1 at Hastings United a week ago but they rotated three of their substitutes. Noah Watson, Kadell Daniel and Louie Theophanous coming in for Roman Hall, David Boateng and Michael Kamara.

Jersey, playing their fourth successive away game, had an excellent chance after just three minutes when Miguel Carvalho set up Rai Dos Santos but a bobble at the crucial time saw him blaze well over.

Richard Afrane-Kesey almost gave Croydon the lead when he outpaced Jonny Le Quesne down the left but his shot hit Euan Van der Vliet's legs.

A long ball down the middle set David Bremang clear but a dodgy bounce and the attentions of Van der Vliet pushed him wide right from where he shot over.

A quickly taken free kick led to the opener. Skipper Luke Dreher played a "nine iron" forward to Reece Grant in the left channel and he lobbed the advancing Van der Vliet before Jamie Watling could come across to cover.

Jersey scored three goals in a quarter of an hour early in the second half to turn the match on its head. Dos Santos battled through the centre and a fortunate rebound 2 / 3off Junior Savane came to Adam Trotter who beat Ben Wynter and lifted the ball over Amadou Tangara for the equaliser. Jersey gained the lead when Lorne Bickley headed on to Dos Santos on the left and despite being brought down as he did so was quickly up and he just beat Dreher and Wynter to Santos's low cross to find the top right corner from ten yards.

The third was the best as Carvalho played Bickley through the right channel. The striker laid the ball back, but not quite in to Le Quesne's path. However, the stand in skipper adjusted superbly to stay over the ball and rifle his shot from a narrowish angle just inside the right post from twelve yards.

Croydon who had made two injury changes in the first half responded by clearing their bench with a triple substitution. With ten minutes to go two of them, Kadel Daniel and Louie Theophanous, combined well and the former swivelled past Le Quesne in the left channel only for his cross shot to narrowly evade the right post.

In the last minute of "normal" time Croydon pulled one back to make the five added minutes "interesting". Theophanous bustled through the left channel pulling Watling out of the way as he went. Substitute James Carr came across and "cleared" the ball on to Watling and it rebounded up and over the advancing Van der Vliet.

A.F.C. Croydon Athletic - Amadou Tangara, Junior Savane, Ben Wynter (wore 21), Luke Dreher (c), (wore 16), Cian McCarthy (wore 20), James Taylor (wore 15), Charlie Colkett (wore 19), Richard Afrane-Kesey, David Bremang, Reece Grant, James Dunne (wore 18)
Substitutes – 3. Noah Watson (for Savane 63), 4, Nya Kirby (for Colkett 30), 7. Kadell Daniel (for Afrane-Kesey 63), 11. Louie Theophanous (for Grant 38), 17. Preston Kedwell (for Bremang 63)

Maroon (white trim) / Maroon (white trim) / White (Maroon trim) ; GK Grey/ Grey/ Black

Danny Kedwell (Manager), Dean Beckwith (Assistant), Ben Kilsby (GK Coach), Dave Kast (Fitness), Samuel Eyarhono (Medical)

Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet, Jonny Le Quesne (c), Jamie Watling (wore 15), Adam Trotter (wore 12), Luke Campbell, Luke Watson (wore 16), Fraser Barlow, Joe Kilshaw, Lorne Bickley, Rai Dos Santos (wore18), Miguel Carvalho
Substitutes – 3. James Carr (for Barlow 72), 6. Toby Ritzema (for Kilshaw 58), 13. Daniel Jinadu (sub GK, not used), 14. Jay Giles (not used), 20. James Sunley (for Dos Santos 68)

White (lilac trim)/White (lilac trim) /Royal Blue; GK All Yellow

Elliot Powell (Manager), Dan Garton (Assistant), Dylan Buesnel (Analyst), Karl 3 / 3Benest (Kit), Nikki Nicolle (Medical)

Formations (R to L)
A.F.C. Croydon Athletic (4-4-2) 1; 2-20-16-11; 18-19-15-8; 10-9
Jersey Bulls (4-1-4-1) 1; 2-15-5-7; 16; 11-12-8-18; 9

Officials – Patrick J. Jolliffe (Lingfield), Oliver G. Westgate (East Grinstead) (dug outs), Jack Healy (Worcester Park) (grandstand)

Caution(s) – Luke Dreher (AFCC) 44, Lorne Bickley (JB) 66, Danny Kedwell (AFCC mgr) 68, James Dunne (AFCC) 78, Cian McCarthy (AFCC) 86, Nya Kirby (AFCC) 87

Corners – A.F.C. Croydon Athletic (1) 2; Jersey Bulls (6) 9

Assist(s) – Rai Dos Santos, Rai Dos Santos again, Lorne Bickley

Player of the Match – Miguel Carvalho (honourable mentions for Rai Dos Santos and Lorne Bickley)

Added Time – 2.05 & 5.05 (7.10)