Sheerwater finished next to bottom last season but escaped relegation as only one team went down. Jersey did the double over them for the third successive season winning 4-0 at Springfield in November (Francis Lekimamati, Luke Watson, Fraser Barlow and Miguel Carvalho) but only 2-1 in March at the Eastwood Centre when early goals from Carvalho and Adam Trotter had put Jersey in the driving seat.

Sheerwater are doing better this season, in 13th position with 7 points from 7 matches. Remarkably their first three league matches all finished 4-3. Sheerwater defeated Camberley Town in the first before losing to Corinthian-Casuals and Tooting and Mitcham United by the same score. They then won at Alton before losing to Abbey Rangers and Fleet Town which sandwiched a draw at home to Spelthorne Sports. In the F.A. Cup they went out after a replay to Rusthall of the South-Eastern Counties Premier Division.

Jersey made two changes to their starting XI with Jack Lumsden continuing after replacing the injured Harry Curtis at Balham and Fraser Barlow coming in at left back for J.J. Lloyd. Lloyd was on the bench alongside fellow defender Sammy Sutcliffe and strikers Karl Hinds and Seaney McColgan.

A wet evening, sometimes heavy, saw Jersey have the rain blowing into their faces for the first half. Sheerwater had an opportunity after a quarter of an bour when Euan Van der Vliet was caught out of position but he recovered well to save George Sellick’s shot. Nevertheless, it was Jersey who took the lead shortly afterwards when Barlow got forward to “feed” Lorne Bickley near the penalty spot and although Chris Adams got a hand to the shot he could not stop it entering the net. Adams did better five minutes later to deny Bickley a second, But before half time Elliott York scored a deserved equaliser. Sellick skipped past Lumsden on the right and squared the ball for the striker to beat Van der Vliet.

Sheerwater came out firing after the interval and forced their only two corners of the match in the first two minutes following the break. Jersey came back into it with Adams pushing away a Watson header on the hour. Midway through the half it was Sellick again who set up Sheerwater’s second goal. Breaking down the right it was Nathan Pooley who converted his cross this time. With sixteen minutes to go Jersey’s loud appeals for a hand ball in the box were waved away by the referee.

If Sheerwater were fortunate on that occasion they were not so six minutes later when their skipper Liam Avery brought down James Sunley. Bickley went low right with the spot kick but Adams guessed correctly, diving to his left, only to have Sunley put the loose ball back into the six-yard box where substitute Hinds, sliding in, lifted the ball into the roof of the net from three yards for a much needed equaliser.

The point keeps Jersey in 8th position but whilst remaining unbeaten three draws means that they are losing ground on the early pacemakers and will need to “kick on” sooner rather than later to keep themselves in contention.

Sheerwater – Chris Adams, Matthew Bryant, Callum Mackie, Kalan Lisbie, Mekhail McLaughlin (wore 17), Liam Avery (c), George Mackie (19. Kareem Foster 89), Nathan Pooley, Elliott York, Luke Dunn, George Sellick (18. Harvey Valter 89). Unused – 15. Brooklyn Hyseni, 16. Jack Tomlinson, 20. Zac Jervis

All R oyal Blue; GK All Light Blue

Tony Junior “T.J. Barbato (Manager), Sean Wallace (Assistant), Luke Stone (Coach), James Louison (Squad Member), Teagan-Christine Brown (Medical)

Jersey Bulls - Euan Van der Vliet, Jonny Le Quesne, Fraser Barlow, James Queree(c), Jack Lumsden, Luke Watson, Toby Ritzema, Joe Kilshaw (15. Karl Hinds 61),Lorne Bickley, James Sunley, Miguel Carvalho.
Unused – 12. John “J.J.” Lloyd, 14. Seaney McColgan, 18, Sammy Sutcliffe, only four substitutes

Red/White/Red; GK All Yellow

Elliot Powell (Manager & Medical), Jack Boyle & Jay Giles (Coaches)

Formations (R to L)
Sheerwater (4-5-1) 1; 2-6-5-3; 7-4-8-10-11; 9

Jersey Bulls (4-1-4-1) 1; 2-5-4-3; 6; 11-7-8-10; 9

Match Officials: Connor Fanelli (Choham), Steve Hart (Ashford) on the dug outs sideand Ben Frape (Guildford) on the clubhouse side

Cautions – Luke Dunn (S) 40, Nathan Pooley (S) 55, Jack Lumsden (JB) 64, Chris Adams (S gk) (time wasting) 77, Elliott Powell (JB mgr) (dissent) 82

Corners – Sheerwater (0) 2; Jersey Bulls (2) 3

Assists – Barlow, Sunley

Player of the Match – James Sunley

Added Time – 2.50 & 4.25 (7.15)