Jersey renewed “hostilities” with Knaphill with whom they had four close tussles last season. Meeting in August at Springfield in the F.A. Cup they took a first half lead through Fraser Barlow before being pegged back after the interval. The replay at Knaphill was won by the hosts with the only goal of the game scored in extra time. The league match at Springfield in October saw a 9th added minute equaliser by Lorne Bickley snatch a point and in the return in February Bickley scored both goals in a vital match which eventually enabled Jersey to pip them by a point for second place. The highest positions for both teams in their respective histories. However, A.F.C. Croydon Athletic visited both in the play-offs and came away with a pair of 2-1 victories to snatch the second promotion place.

Knaphill, like Jersey, lost their management team after those play-offs and they appointed the former Abbey Rangers manager who brought half a dozen players with him. They are again in the play-off places, lying 4th behind Jersey on goal difference but having played four more matches, their record being 9-4-4 31-25. They were put out of the F.A. Cup by Hanworth Villa, just as they were last season after beating Jersey. Billingshurst from the level below surprisingly eliminated them from the F.A. Vase and Broadfields United removed them from the Combined Counties Cup. However, they remain in both the Surrey and Aldershot Cups. In the league their defeats have been by Tooting & Mitcham United, Redhill, A.F.C. Whyteleafe and Fleet Town, the latter two being their last two league matches.

Jersey made two starting changes and three positional changes. With Karl Hinds out injured, although he was named on the bench, James Carr came in on the right flankwith Miguel Carvalho transferring to the left and Rai Dos Santos in turn moving to the middle. Toby Ritzema returned after suspension to midfield with Jonny Le Quesne

resuming at right back at the expense of Will Byers. The five substitutes were completing changed from last week with Hinds being joined by Sammy Sutcliffe, Jack Boyle, Will Yates and Francis Lekimamati. It was Lekimamati’s first appearance after a summer out training for running the marathon.

Knaphill also made changes after three successive defeats, two league and one cup. Theo White and Kacper Nozka came into midfield, the latter elevated from the bench, replacing George Frith and Aidan King. Ross Cheek and debutant Zak Jakubowski were amongst the substitutes with Blessing Hombessa replaced.

A remarkable match that saw Jersey overwhelm their close rivals. With both of Jersey’s main strikers out injured it was thought that another dour struggle would ensue with Jersey struggling to score. It turned out very differently.

Knaphill were seemingly uncertain how to approach the game as they swapped two starters with two substitutes after the initial exchanging of team sheets. In the end they settled upon playing with a back five which only served to invite runs at their defence. It might have worked on another day but in the end they had completed a difficult week with three defeats inflicted upon them by close league rivals.

Jersey obtained a first minute corner but five minutes later had to defend one from Knaphill. In the eighth minute Ritzema turning away from goal 15 yards out in the right channel was brought down by Kacper Nozka but there was at least a twominute stoppage before the resultant penalty was taken as Jack Watts was seemingly tactically “injured” as no one had been near him. Luke Watson who had seized the ball was not phased and ultimately sent Sam Gray the wrong way with a shot to the bottom left corner to give Jersey the lead.

They doubled their lead after double the number of minutes. A bouncing through ball down the left channel was pursued by Dos Santos and Yates with Gray coming out to meet them. Gray only succeeded in punching the ball to Ritzema 20 yards out who gave himself time to lift the ball into the unguarded net. Gray needed treatmentafter landing on both Dos Santos and Yates with Knaphill wanting a free-kick.

The third arrived just before the half hour when a cross from the left byline found Carr unmarked at the far post. It bounced at an awkward height but Carr made light of this as he half-volleyed it into the roof of the net from eight yards.

Only three more minutes had elapsed before Ritzema broke through on the rightfrom a ball forward from Le Quesne and squared the ball for Joe Kilshaw to run on to and tuck the fourth in to the unguarded goal.

The fifth arrived from a corner on the left taken by Carvalho which was met right of centre with a thumping header from Harry Curtis, again into the roof of the net.

The shell-shocked visitors made a triple substitution at the break and their other twoten minutes later. In between these changes Carvalho limped off to be replaced by Lekimamati and Gray made a spectacular flying save from Dos Santos to keep the score at five. Ritzema also spurned a golden opportunity when he delayed when put through for a one on one with Gray and Dale Burnham got back to clear.

Jersey started withdrawing other players to give them a break before the top of the table tussle at Redhill on Tuesday. With quarter of an hour to go Dos Santos successfully added to the total when he finished off a move instigated by Carr, so it was six goals from six different players. Knaphill nearly dented Jersey’s eighth consecutive clean sheet when a rising rasping drive from eight yards by Burnhamrattled the bar with a dozen minutes remaining. Jersey therefore set themselves up well for a difficult couple of games, as after Tuesday at Redhill they travel to Bedfont Sports on Saturday for the F.A. Vase Second Round.

Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet, Jonny Le Quesne (vc), Fraser Barlow, James Queree (c), Harry Curtis, Luke Watson, James Carr, Joe Kilshaw, Rai Dos Santos,Toby Ritzema, Miguel Carvalho
Substitutes – 12. Francis Lekimamati (for Carvalho 51), 14. Sammy Sutcliffe (for Queree 72), 18. Jack Boyle (for Watson) 62, 19. Will Yates (for Ritzema 73), 20. Karl Hinds (not used)

Red/White/Red; GK All Green

Elliot Powell (Manager), Dan Garton, Adam Lester and Andy Dewhurst (Coaches), Karl Benest (Kit), Dylan Buesnel (Analyst), Steve Martin (Medical)

Knaphill – (squad numbers) 1. Sam Gray, 2. David Orisatoki (vc), 3. James Glover, 5. Michak Stanic-Stewart, 6. Dale Burnham, 8. Alex McLean, 15. Jack Watts (c), 17. Theo White, 19. Ben Mitchell, 21. Kingsley Anokye, 25. Kacper Nozka
Substitutes – 7. Jamari Jackson (for Mitchell 56), 14. Rahman Ajibola (for Anokye 56), 20. Ross Cheek (for Glover 46), 22. Jack Baisden (for McLean 46), 24. Zak Jakubowski (for Nozka 46)

Colours – All bright Yellow; GK All Pink

Mike Woolgar and Paul Johnson (Joint Managers), Alex Lumley (Assistant), Becca Cross (Medical), Pete Gray (Assistant Medical)

Formations (R to L)
Jersey Bulls (4-1-4-1) 1; 2-5-4-3; 6; 11-10-8-7; 9
Knaphill (5-3-2) 1; 2-6-15-3-5; 17-8-25; 19-21

Match Officials – Andrew Ross Batten (Basingstoke), 30, Qualified 2010 when at Uxbridge. Middlesex County League, Spartan League, Hellenic League, moved to Basingstoke, Wessex League, third season with Combined Counties League. Refereed Jersey at Camberley in November 2022. First visit to Springfield.

Matthew Clive Downey (Bourne End) on the dug outs side. Here in October 2023 for the match against A.F.C. Croydon Athletic. Son of Colin, a linesman at the 1983 F.A. Cup Final. Qualified in 1986, rose to Level 3 - refereeing in the Isthmian League and lining in the Conference. Re-joined the Combined Counties list for 2023-24 season

Paul Martin Bennett (Chalfont St. Peter) on the grandstand side. First visit to Springfield, Qualified 2008, Spartan League, second season on Combined Counties.

Cautions – James Glover (K) 30 (pulling), Jack Watts (K) 48 (foul)

Corners – Jersey Bulls (3) 8; Knaphill (1) 3

Assists – Ritzema, Dos Santos, Carvalho, Ritzema, Carvalho, Carr

Player of the Match – Toby Ritzema

Added Time – 5.55 & 3.50 (9.45)