Jersey hosted second placed Croydon (18-4-6 65-36) who had lost last week at home to Margate 1-2. Jersey hoped to continue their unbeaten run and do the double over Croydon having won 3-2 there in late September. With most of the league programme wiped out on the mainland a win would take Jersey into the play-off spots, albeit having played more matches, and mark captain James Queree’s 200th start for the Bulls.

Jersey brought James Sunley into the squad in place of Francis Lekimamati and made two “swaps” to the starting line up with Rai Dos Santos and Adam Trotter replacing Luke Campbell and Joe Kilshaw from the more defence adopted formation used at Ashford last week.

Croydon elevated Jerome Binnom-Williams, a remarkably agile “unit”, and Charlie Colkett, from the bench in place of Richard Afrane-Kesey, who was a substitute and Harvey Kedwell. James Taylor came in to complete the substitutes.

A remarkable match where everything came off for Jersey after an even opening period. Brandon Pierrick brought a smart save out of Euan Van der Vliet after quarter of an hour but there was little of further note until after half an hour when Dos Santos shook off a defender and brought a good save from Amadou Tangara diving to his right. Ten minutes later a long throw in was cleared as far as Jonny Le Quesne whose shot was blocked and rebounded to Adam Trotter left of centre on the edge of the “D”. His first time low cross shot evaded all those in the box and found the bottom right corner. Croydon captain Luke Dreher took one for the team in added time when Miguel Carvalho rounded him and was about to home in on goal from the right byline before being wrestled to the ground. It was the only caution of the match.

After the interval Kadell Daniel equalised as he jinked past a couple of defenders in the left side of the box and hit a rising cross shot past Euan Van der Vliet, albeit a couple of his team mates were in offside positions but not deemed to be interfering with play. A couple of minutes later Croydon’s Charlie Colkett whistled a twenty yard free kick past the right post but from the goal kick Lorne Bickley flicked the ball on to Toby Ritzema on the left flank who ran on and on the edge the box passed inside where Dos Santos just beat a defender to the ball and shot goalwards. Tangara got 2 / 3a hand to it as he dived to his left but could only watch as the ball trickled on into the bottom right corner.

A Jay Giles free kick from the right to the back post led to the third goal. A defender only succeeded in heading it out to Ritzema eight yards out where he controlled it on his thigh before volleying home. Within a minute Jersey had another. A sublime through ball from Trotter was run on to by Bickley in the left channel. His cross shot was pushed up towards the right post where Miguel Carvalho, although offside when Trotter made his pass, coming in at full tilt finished off the move.

Croydon made a quadruple substitution as they cleared their bench but Jersey soon had a fifth. A long ball forward was nodded on by Bickley to Ritzema who had anticipated well. Without breaking stride he lobbed Tangara who was a few yards off his line. To emphasise this was Jersey’s day they were awarded a penalty which had the scores been closer would have seen howls of protest. As it was substitute Fraser Barlow wriggled into the box before being felled by Reece Grant as he came across and cleared the danger. Queree stepped up and his low shot to the bottom left corner was just too powerful for the diving Tangara to keep out and to emphasise it was not Croydon’s day they had Grant helped off with an ankle injury in the dying seconds and with no one left to bring on. On another day the score would have been closer but Jersey had the “Midas touch” this afternoon.

Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet, Jonny Le Quesne, Jay Giles (wore 14), James Queree (c), Jamie Watling (wore 15), Toby Ritzema, Luke Watson (wore 16), Adam Trotter (wore 12), Lorne Bickley, Rai Dos Santos, Miguel Carvalho
Substitutes – 3. James Carr (for Dos Santos 82), 5. Luke Campbell (for Trotter 82), 7. Fraser Barlow (for Carvalho 79), 8. Joe Kilshaw (for Watson 80), 20. James Sunley (for Ritzema 79)

Red/White/Red; GK All Yellow

Elliot Powell (Manager), Dan Garton (Assistant), Dave Kennedy (Coach), Richard Hebert (GK Coach), Karl Benest (Kit), Georgina Ruellan (Medical)

A.F.C. Croydon Athletic – Amadou Tangara, David Boateng, Cian McCarthy (wore 20), Luke Dreher (c) (wore 16), James Dunne (wore 18), Jerome Binnom-Williams, Kadell Daniel, Charlie Colkett (wore 19), Josh Williams (wore 17), Reece Grant, Brandon Pierrick
Substitutes – 4. Nya Kirby (for Colkett 74), 8. Richard Afrane-Kesey (for Boateng 74), 9. David Bremang (for Daniel 74), 14. Callum Harriott (for Pierrick 61), 15. James Taylor (for Dunne 74)

Light Turquoise/White/Light Turquoise; GK All Light Blue

Dean Beckwith (Assistant Manager), Ben Kingsby & Dave Kast (Coaches), Alfie Ashcroft (Kit), Samuel Oyarhono (Medical)

Formations (R to L)
Jersey Bulls (4-1) 1; 2-4-15-14; 16; 11-12-6-10; 9
3 / 3A.F.C. Croydon Athletic (4-4-2) 1; 2-20-16-6; 11-19-18-7; 17-10

Officials – Pablo J. Aguilar-Cabanes (Horsham), Daniel “Dan” Killick (Horsham) dug outs, Brendan J. Bradley (Horsham) grandstand

Cautions – Luke Dreher (AFCC) 45+1

Corners –Jersey Bulls (3) 3, A.F.C. Croydon Athletic (3) 3

Assist(s) – Jonny Le Quesne, Toby Ritzema, Jay Giles, Lorne Bickley (4th & 5th), Fraser Barlow

Player of the Match – Toby Ritzema

Added Time – 2.00 & 5.20 (7.20)