Jersey finished 2023 by visiting Cobham whom they had defeated at Springfield in early October by the only goal of the game scored late on by Jonny Le Quesne. Since then Cobham had won two, drawn two and lost two in the league whilst also playing six cup ties. They have gone out of the Combined Counties Premier Cup and Surrey Senior Cup but have won three F.A. Vase ties to take them into the last 32 alongside Jersey, the last one a 4-3 win at Egham Town after being 0-3 down. They were now lying 17^th in the table with a 4-5-7 24-28 record.

Will Byers was unavailable for Jersey so James Queree reverted to the right of the back four with James Carr coming in on the left. Otherwise, the team was the one that beat Abbey Rangers although with only three substitutes taken away it meant that there were no places for Francis Lekimamati or Ruben Mendes on the bench. Cobham had seven changes to the squad that played eight weeks ago at Springfield.

Jersey kicked off on the new 3G pitch attacking the western end bordering Anvil Lane (hence the Cobham nickname of “The Hammers”) with the thermometer registering 12C but it feeling much colder with an easterly breeze blowing.

Luke Watson placed a side footed shot wide of the left post after only three minutes and Ben Le Rougetel fired over five minutes later before the early pressure brought a goal. Watson on the right put over a cross which Campbell, making his 125^th appearance, knocked down to Fraser Barlow. Barlow managed to square the ball towards the left post where Miguel Carvalho finished off from close in. Ten minutes later it became two as a Jonny Le Quesne cross from the right was met by a deft glancing header from Barlow near the penalty spot which found the bottom corner.

A regulation win appeared to be on the cards but that was almost as good as it got for Jersey. Within two minutes Cobham had reduced the arrears. As Jersey looked for a third goal a clearance was hooked forward which top scorer Reis Stanislaus half volleyed on to Will Hellestoe. He sprinted between Harry Curtis and Campbell and without breaking stride shot past Pierce Roche into the bottom left corner from the edge of the box.

Ten minutes before half time the referee adjudged Curtis had tripped Stanislaus off the ball. Curtis was cautioned and Stanislaus hit the twenty yard free kick powerfully in to the top right hand corner for the equaliser. Lorne Bickley rattled the Cobham crossbar from a narrow angle just before the break as the teams went in level.

A studs up tackle, midway through the second half, by James King which clattered into Barlow’s knee did not so much as earn a free kick and when the victim questioned the lack of a decision he was sin binned. Before Barlow returned Bickley asked the dug out side assistant a similar question when Le Quesne was felled from behind without a whistle forthcoming and he was sin binned too leaving Jersey briefly with nine players. Cobham continued to press but Jersey hung on for a point.
Cobham 2 (Will Hellestoe 21, Reis Stanislaus 35), Jersey Bulls 2 (Miguel Carvalho 10, Fraser Barlow 19)

Attendance – 128

Programme – 25 pages, online only

Cobham – Andrew Westphal, Ryan David, Charlie Alexiou, Jake Boyer, James King (c), Lloyd Connelly, Will Hellestoe, Ryan Marklew, Reis Stanislaus, Jacob De Sa, Nic Osborne
Substitutes – 12. Antonios Nazareth (for David 66), 14. Kallum Peart (for Hellestoe 61), 15. Kamdon Simmons (not used), 16. Ashby Charles (for De Sa 89), 17. Craig Lewington (player/manager) (not used)

Red & Black Stripes at front, plain Red backs/Black/Black; GK Grey/Grey/Black (luminous yellow flashes to shirt and shorts)

Craig Lewington (Manager), Paul Cross (Coach & Physio.) Ronald Hlabano (Coach)

Jersey Bulls – Pierce Roche, James Queree (c), James Carr, Harry Curtis, Luke Campbell, Ben Le Rougetel, Fraser Barlow, Jonny Le Quesne, Lorne Bickley, Luke Watson, Miguel Carvalho
Substitutes – 14. Joe Kilshaw (not used), 15. Kamen Nafkha (for Watson 68), 17. Seaney McColgan (for Campbell 74), 21. Kevan Nelson (player/coach) (not used), only four substitutes

White/Light Blue/White; GK All Yellow

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

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

Referee – Stephen Matthews (Chessington)

Assistants – Kevin Guy (Sunbury) on the dug outs side and Ivar (sic) Petersen (Weybridge) on the grandstand side

Cautions – Harry Curtis (JB) 34, Reis Stanislaus (C) 45+1, Fraser Barlow (JB) (sin bin) 69, Lorne Bickley (sin bin) 78, Jake Boyer (C), 90+4, Ryan Marklew (C) 90+5

Corners – Cobham (2) 2, Jersey Bulls (4) 4

Player of the Match – Fraser Barlow

Added Time – 3.45 & 7.20 (11.05)