Jersey travelled for the third time in eight days, this time to the North Kent coast, to face Herne Bay. Their opponents were 8th with a 3-1-3 12-11 league record. Jersey were languishing in 19th but had only played three league games, all draws.

Jersey made four changes to the team that had lost badly at Harrow Borough on Saturday. Jay Giles, Luke Watson and Rai Dos Santos were promoted from the bench and were joined by Adam Trotter who was unavailable on Saturday. Trotter replaced Joe Kilshaw who was a substitute along with James Sunley and Stanley Dunne. Francis Lekimamati, injured on Saturday, plus the unavailable youngsters Jamie Watling, Will Yates and Harry Mackenzie made way for them.

Herne Bay had three changes to their side that had lost at home to an added time goal against Sheppey United in the League Cup on Saturday. Alfie Cutbush and Jordan Ababio were elevated from the bench and Matty Newman was recalled. They replaced Chinedu Duru, Frankie Smith and James Rogers who were all amongst the substitutes.

Herne Bay were the first to threaten inside ninety seconds when Ababio put in a right wing cross that Alfie Bloomfield shot over as he was closed down by Fraser Barlow. Jersey supporters at that point were thinking was this a continuation of the Harrow failings. Bulls were quick to respond as Miguel Carvalho played in Lorne Bickley but Louie Procopi put in a saving tackle.

Jersey broke the early deadlock when the overlapping Jonny Le Quesne received a short pass from Toby Ritzema and drilled his cross shot into the bottom left corner from a narrow angle that the hosts captain and ‘keeper Joe Coleman might rue.
Bickley was thwarted by Procopi again before Jersey scored again just after the quarter hour. Dos Santos made a nicely weighted pass inside Harvey Brand for Ritzema to run on to in the left channel and his subtle flick past the advancing Coleman rolled slowly home.

A Watson header was clawed away by Coleman as Jersey defended in numbers but quickly transitioned as they burst forward. Herne Bay began to rely on the long ball forward towards Bloomfield but central defenders James Queree and Jay Giles dealt with them and nothing fell Herne Bay’s way.
Bickley headed narrowly wide and then could not get the ball from under his feet after he had been played through by Carvalho. This took him too wide and Liam 2 / 3Friend blocked his subsequent shot from a narrow angle.

Jersey appeared to kill off the contest before half time as yet another misplaced pass from the hosts was laid off by Bickley to Carvalho twenty yards out on the right flank. He cut inside and hit a left footed curler that kissed the underside of the bar as a contender for goal of the season.

Herne Bay rang the half-time changes with a triple substitution that saw Rogers and Jacob Gilbert replace Cutbush and Brand in midfield, and Jamie Lartice also coming on for Newman.

Those substitutions made them look more robust but the next opportunity went Jersey’s way as Ritzema didn’t make the most of a mistake by Rogers on the hour, and Trotter also failed to hit the target minutes later.

Herne Bay went closer when Rhys Wyborn’s cross from the left landed on the top netting as ‘keeper Daniel Jinadu, formerly of Dover, Ramsgate and Welling, backpeddled. Herne Bay were coming more into the game as Jersey sat on their lead but Bickley had a shot deflected just over with five minutes left.

Bickley did better just before the final whistle when substitute Dunne fed him in the left channel. The striker moved past his nemesis Procopi and rifled a cross shot into the top right corner that gave Coleman little chance of saving.

In stoppage time Colman saved from Dunne, at the expense of a corner, to at least ensure it didn’t get any worse for Herne Bay.

Herne Bay – Joe Coleman (c), Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo, Rhys Wyborn, Alfie Cutbush, Liam Friend, Louie Procopi, Jordan Ababio, Scott Heard, Alfie Bloomfield, Harvey Brand, Matty Newman.
Substitutes – 12. Chinedu Duru (for Bloomfield 86), 14. Jamie Lartice (for Newman 46), 15. Frankie Smith (for Ababio 60), 17. James Rogers (for Brand 46), 18. Jacob Gilbert (for Cutbush 46)

Royal Blue and White wide stripes/Royal Blue/Royal Blue; GK All Orange
Liam Friend (Player-Manager), James Rogers (Player-Coach), Tom Wynter and Joe Denny (Coaches), Aaron Smith (Kit), Samantha Stone (Medical)
Jersey Bulls – Daniel Jinadu (wore 13), Jonny Le Quesne, Jay Giles (wore 14), James Queree (c), Luke Watson (wore 16), Toby Ritzema, Fraser Barlow, Adam Trotter (wore 12), Lorne Bickley, Rai Dos Santos, Miguel Carvalho
Substitutes – 8. Joe Kilshaw (for Trotter 63), 20. James Sunley (for Ritzema 74), 22. Stanley Dunne (for Dos Santos 74), only three substitutes
Red/White/Red; GK All Yellow
Elliot Powell (Manager), Karl Benest (Kit), Nikki Nicolle and Steve Martin (Medical)
Formations (R to L)
Herne Bay (4-1-4-1) 1; 2-6-5-3; 8; 7-4-10-11; 9
Jersey Bulls (4-1-4-1) 13; 2-4-14-7; 8; 11-12-6-10; 9

3 / 3Officials – Simon J. Finnigan (Folkestone) (also refereed at Margate), Matthew Williams (Kent) (dug outs), Michael I.J. Corderoy (Gillingham) (grandstand)

Caution(s) – none (for either side)

Corners – Herne Bay (0) 2; Jersey Bulls (5) 9

Assist(s) – Toby Ritzema, Rai Dos Santos, Lorne Bickley, Stanley Dunne

Player of the Match – Miguel Carvalho (honourable mentions for Rai Dos Santos and Toby Ritzema)

Added Time – 1.10 & 3.05 (4.15)