Jersey travelled to Harefield, just north of Uxbridge, knowing victory would exempt them to the second round stage (last 128) for next season. Harefield, like Jersey, had reached the last sixteen last season before going out on “penalties” to Peacehaven & Telscombe after a goalless draw. So, they too, had only needed to play one Vase match so far this season, beating Crawley Down Gatwick 2-1.

Harefield, after 25 years in the Spartan South Midland League had been transferred to the Combined Counties North Division last season when they finished 14^th. This season has been more of a struggle losing their first ten matches, eight of them in the league. There has been a huge turnover of players too with 63 having been used so far. They have gained a couple of solitary goal victories recently but are still bottom with a 2-2-12 11-34 record. Goals were rarely a feature of their matches.

After three nights of negative temperatures the hosts had worked hard to ensure that the ground would be playable. Elsewhere half of the 32 fixtures were postponed with the North and Midlands almost bereft of Vase matches. Nevertheless, the conditions were not favourable to flowing football which probably suited the home tactics.

Jersey were again delayed en route so Harefield kicked the match off eight minutes late attacking the easterly wooded Breakspear Road end on a very cold (2C) and misty afternoon. There were three changes to the starting line-up. Will Byers, making his full debut, Lorne Bickley and Miguel Carvalho coming in for James Carr, Jonny Le Quesne and Luke Watson. The latter three were all on the bench along with Joe Kilshaw returning after almost four months out injured.

The match will not live long in the memory and a victory was eventually ground out, but on another day it might have gone the other way. Harefield were quickly out of the blocks with the nippy Cain Wright and Aaron McLeish both probing the Jersey defence with the latter rattling the bar with a curling twenty yard shot after only five minutes. Steven Green and McLeish again both tested Euan Van der Vliet in the first twenty minutes before Jersey scored just after the half hour with their first chance.

Francis Lekimamati swung in a corner and Harry Curtis running towards the near post hooked in a diagonal volley off the underside of the bar. Lekimamati might have added another when the ‘keeper hit him with a clearance but he returned the “compliment”. Nearing half-time Jersey cleared a melee in their goalmouth before Fraser Barlow brought a good save out of Cian Moore with a twenty-five yard effort.

The much travelled McLeish’s frustrations boiled over early in the second half when he punched Luke Campbell and then flattened Curtis immediately afterwards. The officials might have missed the first but not the second and Harefield were left a player short as they attempted to level matters. In the last ten minutes they threw players forward in an effort to at least force a shoot-out but fortunately they failed to create any clear cut chances and it was Jersey that advanced to the fourth round.

Harefield United 0, Jersey Bulls 1 (Harry Curtis 32)

Attendance – 100

Programme – Yes (online only)

Harefield United – Cian Moore, Steven Green, Luke Brophy, Paul Underwood, Harry Tamplin (c), David Thomas, Archie Alexander, Prince Mbengui, Aaron McLeish-White, Cain Wright, Leo Sery
Substitutes – 12. Greg Wright (not used), 13. David Brown (sub GK) (not used), 14. Dominic Jones (not used), 15. Robbie Quigley (for Mbengui 59), 16. Will Bailey (for C. Wright 54), 17. Gherardo Luchessini (not used), 18. Jake Sobalak (for Alexander 69)

Red (Black sleeves)/Black (Red sides)/Red; GK All Dark Green, Black leggings

Wayne Carter (Manager), Mark Hook (Assistant), Jamie Bowler (Coach)

Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet, Will Byers, James Queree (c), Harry Curtis, Luke Campbell, Kamen Nafkha, Francis Lekimamati, Ben Le Rougetel, Lorne Bickley, Fraser Barlow, Miguel Carvalho
Substitutes – 14. James Carr (for Lekimamati 77), 15. Jonny Le Quesne (not used), 16. Joe Kilshaw (for Nafkha 84), 18. Luke Watson (for Carvalho 61), only four substitutes

White/Light Blue/White, GK All Yellow, Black leggings

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

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

Referee – Joshua Evans (Epping)

Assistants – Andrew Wheaton (Bishop’s Stortford) on the dug outs side and Yashar Yekta (Barnet) on the grandstand side

Cautions – McLeish-White (HU) dismissed, straight red (punching) 48, Campbell (JB) 49, Nelson (JB) (off pitch) 49, Sery (HU) (simulation) 57, Mbengui (HU) (off pitch) 63, Tamplin (HU) 75, Barlow (JB) 76, Quigley (HU) 90+1, Queree (JB) 90+5

Corners – Harefield United (2) 4, Jersey Bulls (1) 2

Player of the Match – Luke Campbell

Added Time – 2.30 & 5.40 (8.10)