The first meeting of the season with Fleet Town had been delayed ten days as it was originally due on the day Jersey played Falmouth Town in the F.A. Vase. They visit Springfield for the penultimate league match on 20th April.

Last season Fleet Town flirted with relegation and ended up safe by only four points in finishing 18th. They started the season under manager Jermaine McGlashan before he left in October for rivals A.F.C. Croydon Athletic. Elliot Hunt took over and Fleet had continued in mid table and stood 11th with a record of 11-3-12 50-49. They won 6 out of 7 league matches either side of Christmas but since then had only picked up two points from their next 5 games.

Fleet opened the season losing a ten goal game at Brockenhurst in the F.A. Cup. In the F.A. Vase they beat Warminster Town before going out on penalties to Combined Counties Division 1 league leaders Amersham Town. They were also out of the Combined Counties and Hampshire Cups but were still in the Aldershot Cup.

Jersey had James Queree, Will Byers and Kamen Nafkha all unavailable plus Lorne Bickley and Luke Campbell out with injuries so Jay Giles took over the captaincy.Frank Tobin took Will Byers spot with Saturday’s substitutes Ben Le Rougetel, Joe Kilshaw and Miguel Carvalho replacing Campbell, Nafkha and Bickley respectively with Barlow taking over the main striking role.

On a mild (10C) evening Jersey kicked off attacking the Stanton Drive (Eastern) endand soon created chances. Adam Trotter cushioned a volley which might have had better success if “leathered” and Carvalho hit a low cross shot just wide of the right post. Jonny Le Quesne headed just over whilst at the other end defender Bradley Manning blazed high and wide when sent clear. Towards the end of a lacklustre half Carvalho had to be substituted after being caught by Prince Da Cruz-Coquenao and when the same player clattered Tobin the home management thought it was better to take him off before he was sent off.

Before the hour a Le Quesne half volley from a Trotter lay-off brought a good savefrom Joel Halliday. After the hour Jersey brought on Ruben Mendes for Kilshaw and then Giles relinquished the captaincy to Le Quesne when he was substituted by Fergus Boyle. The latter had yet to settle when a long ball forward by substitute Mihail Marinescu to Dan Bone saw the stocky top scorer show a surprising turn of speed to hold off Boyle and clinically flick the ball past the onrushing Pierce Roche.

Jersey equalised eight minutes later when a Lekimamati free kick from the right was headed down at the far post by Luke Watson and Le Rougetel at the near post did well not to overhit his half volley and found the roof of the net from six yards. Barlow, always more effective when given the ball on the ground, and Le Quesne brought further good saves from Halliday before Jersey resisted a late flurry from Fleet in added time as a scrappy game ended all square.

Fleet Town 1 (Dan Bone 73), Jersey Bulls 1 (Ben Le Rougetel 81)

Attendance – 202

Programme – £2, 24pp

Fleet Town – Joel Halliday, Bradley Manning, Prince Da Cruz-Coquenao, Joe Wotton, Liam Pestle (c), Sam Marks, Leo Downing, Luke Phair, Louis Blake, MattSurmon, Dan Bone (wore 18).
Substitutes – 12. Tommy Taylor (for Downing 61), 14. Naz Miah (for Bone 83), 15.Josh Nunes (for Phair 46), 16. Fareed Hakeem-Habeeb (for Da Cruz-Coquenao 45+5), 17. Mihail Marinescu (for Wotton 69)

Light Blue with Dark Blue Shoulders and Sleeves/Dark Blue/Dark Blue; GK All Light Green

Elliot Hunt (Manager), Luke Barron and Darryl Evans (Coaches), Teagen Brown (Physio.)

Jersey Bulls – Pierce Roche, Frank Tobin, Jay Giles (c), Harry Curtis, Ben Le Rougetel, Joe Kilshaw, Jonny Le Quesne (vc), Luke Watson, Fraser Barlow, Adam Trotter, Miguel Carvalho
Substitutes – 15. Fergus Boyle (for Giles 72), 16. Ruben Mendes (for Kilshaw 62),18. Francis Lekimamati (for Carvalho 43), only three substitutes

Red/White/Red; GK All Yellow

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

Formations
Fleet Town (4-4-2 R to L) 1; 3-5-6-2: 8-10-4-7; 18-9
Jersey Bulls (4-2-3-1 R to L) 1; 2-4-5-3; 6-8; 7-10-11; 9

Referee – Simon Weston (Hook)

Assistants – Nick Pyne (Wokingham) on the dug outs side and Radu Lungu (Aldershot) on the grandstand side

Cautions – Leo Downing (FT) 16, Prince Da Cruz-Coquenao (FT) 33, Ruben Mendes (JB) 85, Adam Trotter (JB) 88

Corners – Fleet Town (3) 5; Jersey Bulls (3) 5

Player of the Match – Adam Trotter

Added Time – 6.20 & 5.15 (11.35)