Jersey travelled to the Sussex coast hoping to improve upon their mediocre showing at Hastings United two weeks ago. This time it was to the picturesque home of Eastbourne Town at the renowned Saffrons sporting complex, although the conditions were not conducive to showing it in its “pomp”.

Eastbourne with a population similar to Jersey’s supports three teams with Borough in the Conference South and United in the Southern Combination. Town after a decade finishing in the top half of the Isthmian table were only 15th last season and this season, they lay 13th with a 7-4-10 record. Having won 4-1 at promotion hopefuls Faversham in early November they were on a poor run with only one point from their last four games, including a 0-5 defeat at home to Three Bridges last Saturday.

Jersey made four changes to last week’s squad. Midfield dynamos Adam Trotter and Luke Watson were both suspended after accumulating five cautions before the end of November. Additionally, Lorne Bickley and Harry Mackenzie were unavailable. In came Luke Campbell, after injury, plus Joe Kilshaw and Rai Dos Santos, both substitutes last week. Stan Dunne was added to the bench as was the teenaged Sam Devy as substitute goalkeeper.

Eastbourne after their heavy defeat also made three changes to their starters. Jaydon Fuller and Ollie Davies were promoted from the bench and Aaron Capon was also included. Ngezvashe Sisimayi and Sonny Walsh dropped to the bench and Alfie Rogers was out. Substitute goalkeeper Gerson Cachimuel and Theo Aiguobasimwin replaced James Waters and Stuart Ovray on the bench.

It was a poor match in difficult conditions settled by a scruffy goal but at least it was a win. It added to Eastbourne’s poor run and they will now be looking over their shoulders at the teams close behind them on the fringes of the relegation battle.

The pitch survived an early inspection as three other matches in the division, at Crowborough, Erith and Hastings, were called off.

Eastbourne had the better of the early opportunities with Ollie Davies shooting wide early on and slicing a rebound well wide after Euan Van der Vliet had done well to parry a Jaydon Fuller shot after quarter of an hour.

Van der Vliet had defenders James Queree and Jamie Watling to thank later in the half as they closed down chances for Marcin Ruda and Davies respectively.

The interval arrived goalless with very little football of quality on show.

Soon after the resumption Aaron Capon flashed a header high before Jersey began to work their way back into the match. Jonny Le Quesne curled a twenty yard shot over and Queree glanced a header, from a narrow angle, over too.

Jersey made a couple of changes with Fraser Barlow replacing Miguel Carvalho who had received a couple of knocks. On the other flank Francis Lekimamati took over from James Carr.

Five minutes after the second of these an error led to Jersey’s goal. Dos Santos hounded Fuller in midfield and the latter’s heavy touch let Barlow in. There was still plenty to do but from twenty yards his shot nutmegged a defender which possibly explained Chris Winterton’s late vain dive as the ball found the bottom right corner.

A couple of cynical pull backs that rightly earned cautions protected the lead and Dos Santos broke way only to be halted by defender Jack Murphy as the game petered out with Jersey happy to preserve their narrow advantage.

Eastbourne Town – Chris Winterton (c), Alfie Simmons, Jack Murphy, Harvey Greig, Jimmy Holman, Nathan Hover, Jaydon Fuller, Leon Greig, Ollie Davies, Aaron Capon, Marcin Ruda
Substitutes – 12. Ngezvashe Sisimayi (for H.Greig 83), 13. Gerson Cachimuel (sub GK, not used), 14. Sonny Walsh (for Fuller 83), 15. Theo Aiguobasimwin (for Ruda 72), 16. Austin Pugh (for Simmins 87)

Yellow/Blue/Blue; GK Purple

Jude McDonald (Manager), Ben Davis (Assistant), Adam Davidson and Matt Elphick (Coaches), Dave Winterton (GK Coach), Dominic Crowhurst (Medical)

Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet, Jonny Le Quesne, James Carr, James Queree(c), Luke Campbell, James Watling (wore 15), Jay Giles (wore 14), Joe Kilshaw, James Sunley (wore 20), Rai Dos Santos, Miguel Carvalho
Substitutes – 7. Fraser Barlow (for Carvalho 56), 13. Sam Devy (sub GK, not used), 17. Stan Dunne (for Sunley 83), 21, Francis Lekimamati (for Carr 72), only four subs

Red/White/Red; GK All Green

Elliot Powell (Manager), Dave Kennedy and Andy Dewhurst (Coaches), Jan Bentley (GK Coach), Karl Benest (Kit), Nikki Nicolle (Medical)

Formations (R to L)
Eastbourne Town (4-4-2) 1; 2-4-5-3; 6-8-7-11; 9-10
Jersey Bulls (4-1-4-1) 1; 4-15-5-14; 8; 11-20-2-3; 10

Officials – Abbas-Ali “Hassan” Rajwani (Worthing), Neil Sutherland (Sussex) dug outs, Jamie Wells (Worthing) grandstand

Cautions – Luke Campbell (JB) 43, James Queree (JB) 59, Euan Van der Vliet (JB) 68, Theo Aiguobasimwin (ET) 75, Jonny Le Quesne (JB) 80, Jay Giles (JB) 82

Corners – Eastbourne Town (1) 3; Jersey Bulls (0) 2

Assist(s) – Rai Dos Santos

Player of the Match – Fraser Barlow

Added Time – 3.45 & 3.30 (7.15)