Jersey went into this match knowing that if they could pick up a point or more it would be their first ten match unbeaten run at this level. However, Alton, had proved difficult opponents when they drew 2-2 at Springfield in mid-August after having led by two after 22 minutes before Joe Kilshaw and Rai Dos Santos restored parity.

Last season they were on the fringes of the play-offs throughout and eventually finished 7th. Jersey won 2-0 at Alton in August with late goals from Fraser Barlow and Luke Watson only for Alton to return the “compliment” and win 2-1 at Springfield in January when Lorne Bickley scored the Jersey goal.

This season they were lying 12th with a 3-4-4 13-15 record, not many goals at either end but no goalless games. They had been knocked out of the F.A. Cup, F.A. Vase and Hampshire Senior Cup by Fleet Town, Millbrook and Sholing respectively but were still in the Combined Counties Cup after beating Camberley Town. They had also beaten Camberley in the league as well as Spelthorne Sports and then Balham on Saturday. Alton had also drawn with a string of stronger teams, as well as in theirmatch at Springfield. Fleet Town (F.A. Cup), Tadley Calleva, Knaphill and Guildford City had all had to share the spoils with them.

Jersey made two personnel and three positional changes to their starting XI. With Will Byers unavailable Sammy Sutcliffe returned to central defence allowing Toby Ritzema to resume his midfield role. Consequently, Joe Kilshaw returned to right back after his winning goal from midfield on Saturday. Lorne Bickley was also unavailable after picking up a knock on Saturday so Karl Hinds led the line with Jack Boyle coming in as the link man. Kieran Lester was the only experienced player on the bench where he was joined by three teenagers, Callum Gilroy, Seaney McColgan and Fergus Boyle. Alton had seven different players to their Springfield squad, four of whom started.

On a miserable night Jersey claimed another hard fought win with two late goals.

Alton started well and forced three consecutive corners in the fifth minute. The first of these was flicked on at the near post, bounced and found Matt Benham in space at the far post. Benham directed a header towards the top left corner only to hold his head in his hands as Euan Van der Vliet somehow managed to push it over the bar.

In the 18th minute Tom Hill took out Hinds with a knee-high studs-up tackle. This caused much pushing and shoving but only the captains were called together and no caution issued. Jack Boyle had a couple of chances either side of the half hour mark. The first from twenty yards brought a save from Adam Melville getting down well to his right to concede a corner. The latter, from closer in, after being set up by a good run down the left by Rai Dos Santos was snatched at and finished well wide of the right post to leave the teams level after 45 minutes of attritional football.

The weather worsened briefly as the second half commenced and the match continued mainly in midfield with a goalless draw on the cards. However, with ten “normal” minutes remaining Miguel Carvalho, now on the left, wriggled away and put in a cross. It was deflected but Fraser Barlow at full stretch managed to help it on and over Melville and substitute Seaney McColgan was on hand to head it home from a yard or so.

As the lengthy added time was coming to a conclusion Jersey scored a second. Ritzema twenty yards out in the right channel attempted an outside of the boot curler to the left corner. It hit a defender on the back and rebounded back to the right where Carvalho was the quickest to react. He was on it in a flash and curled it in to the rightcorner past Melville from six yards

The win lifts Jersey up to fourth past the inactive Cobham and closer to the top three with A.F.C. Whyteleafe and Knaphill both held to draws on their own grounds.

Alton – Adam Melville, Jamie Phillips, Jamie Hoppitt (9. Liam Marshall 79), Matt Benham, Toluwani Ajaye-Obe, Tom Hill, Adam Poynter (15. Joe Wotton 86), Louis Russell, George Bennett (c) (wore 19), Owen Tanner (17. Scott Sanderson 86), Darnell McDonald. Unused – 12. Sam Bartlett, 14. Dan Williamson

White (Black sleeves)/Black/Black; GK All Yellow

Kevin Adair (Manager), Steve Franks (Assistant), Matt Evans & Graham Purser (Coaches), Bobbie Williams (Medical)

Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet, Joe Kilshaw, Fraser Barlow, James Queree (c), Sammy Sutcliffe, Luke Watson, Rai Dos Santos (14. Seaney McColgan 74), Toby Ritzema, Karl Hinds (wore 20), Jack Boyle (12. Kieran Lester 62), Miguel Carvalho. Unused – 9. Callum Gilroy, 15. Fergus Boyle, only four substitutes

Red/White/Red: GK All Green

Elliot Powell (Manager & Medical), Jay Giles (Coach)

Formations (R to L)
Alton (4-5-1) 1; 2-5-19-3; 7-6-4-10-11; 8

Jersey Bulls (4-1-4-1) 1; 2-5-4-3; 6; 11-10-8-7; 20

Match Officials - Michael Smith (Bracknell), Nick Pyne (Wokingham) on dugs outs side and Radu Lungu (Aldershot) on clubhouse side

Caution – Sammy Sutcliffe (JB) 67 (foul)

Corners – Alton (4) 6; Jersey Bulls (2) 3

Assists – Fraser Barlow, Toby Ritzema

Player of the Match – James Queree

Added Time – 1.15 & 6.40 (7.55)