Having had their match at table toppers Cobham called off on Saturday when bad weather prevented the incoming ‘plane making it on to the Island, and then with no Bank Holiday Monday fixture Jersey had had an unplanned ten day break. The inactivity had pushed Jersey down to 7th place but they now had up to three games in hand on the teams above them.

Horley, who finished 14th last season, were lying 16th with one win in four league games. They had lost narrowly to Broadbridge Heath, from the level above, in the F.A. Cup before suffering home defeats to Cobham and Fleet Town. A decisive win at Chipstead was their first win before losing by the odd goal in five to the new league leaders, Knaphill, on Saturday.

Last season both the original matches against Horley were postponed so they were eventually met twice in a fortnight in April. Jersey won both by the same score (3-0) and with same scorers each time, two from Lorne Bickley and the other from Jonny Le Quesne.

Jersey made four changes to their starting XI with James Queree, Harry Curtis, Fraser Barlow and James Sunley replacing the unavailable Ben Le Rougetel, Luke Campbell, Rai Dos Santos and Miguel Carvalho. On the bench Jersey included Karl Hinds for his third spell with the club, John “J.J.” Lloyd and Connor Lloyd (no relation) with the latter included in the senior squad for the first time, although he was not to come on.

Horley made their intentions clear from the start by playing five across the back with two central defenders tasked with nullifying the aerial threat of Lorne Bickley. The pitch was grassy, dry and bumpy which not help the ball players in the side if a different method of attack was to be tried.

Jersey took the early initiative with Bickley heading a Sunley cross over and aBarlow first time volley going only just wide. After ten minutes a Horley obstruction near the penalty spot was penalised with an indirect free kick which Sunley tapped to Bickley but his shot was charged down by the onrushing defenders. Horley suffered an early blow when captain Lewis Taylor came off worst when tackling Barlow and had to be substituted. Fellow central defender Joe Carrington took over the armband.

Toby Ritzema hooked an overhead wide after quarter of an hour before Sunley connected beautifully with a volley that fortunately for Horley was blocked. Jonny Le Quesne broke down the right and put a low cross in that Bickley got a couple of studs to at the far post but not enough to direct it in.

Jay Giles chased back successfully to avert a Horley counter attack but at the expense of a hamstring strain that saw him replaced by John Lloyd before the break.
As that approached Bickley put a header in to George Hyde’s arms and Queree,spinning on a ball nodded on at a corner, hit the side netting.

After the interval Owen Ansell flicked on Horley’s only corner of the match over the near angle before Le Quesne at the other end put in a diagonal shot that just eluded Sunley sliding in at the far post.

Just after the hour Hinds was brought on in place of Joe Kilshaw as Jersey continued to look to break down the resolute Horley defence who were also slowing down the match as much as possible as they looked to hold out for a point. Bickley thought he had “won” a penalty when grounded by a combination of Hyde and substitute Daniel Stone but the referee was not interested. Barlow flashed another attempt just wide before Jersey created a number of chances in added time.

The best of these came in the 92nd minute when a deflected Sunley cross reached Bickley at the near post. He got a touch on it which was probably counter-productive as it then took the ball away from Hinds at the far post. Bickley then looked to burst through the centre but was thwarted by an excellent saving tackle from Carrington.

Within seconds Curtis reached the right byline to feed Hinds but his weak shot was hooked off the line by Warren Colman.

Finally, Luke Watson played the ball in from the left which deflected off a defender on to Hyde’s right post and away to sum up a frustrating evening. Jersey had dominated possession but created little up front with the point leaving them 7th.

Horley Town - George Hyde, Cameron Gyeabour, Owen Ansell (17. Sam Luard 79), Joshua Rapson, Lewis Taylor (c) (14. Daniel Stone 18), Joe Carrington (vc), Lewis Pearch (15. Jason Kaate 74), Warren Colman, Coby Acquaye (16. Tommy McKenna 85), Scott Walker (12. George Craig 90+4), Liam Trevatt

Claret/Claret/Sky Blue; GK Orange/Black/Orange

Martin Rapson (Manager), Terry Savage & Matt Rapson (Coaches), Dan Rapson (Kit), Lydia Passera-Hughes (Medical)

Jersey Bulls - Euan Van der Vliet, Jonny Le Quesne, Jay Giles (11. John "J.J." Lloyd 37), James Queree (c), Harry Curtis, Luke Watson, Fraser Barlow, Joe Kilshaw(19. Karl Hinds 63), Lorne Bickley, James Sunley, Toby Ritzema (wore 12). Not used – 16. Connor Lloyd, only three substitutes

White with Claret & Sky Blue diagonals (new version)/White/White; GK All Yellow

Elliot Powell (Manager), Dan Garton (Assistant), Kaj Stefansen (GK Coach), Dylan Buesnel (Medical)
Formations (R to L)
Horley Town (5-3-2) 1; 2-4-6-5-3; 7-10-8; 11-9

Jersey Bulls (4-1-4-1) 1; 2-5-4-3; 6; 7-8-12-10; 9

Match Officials: Alex McKay (Sutton), Gareth Mays (Tadworth) on the dug outs side and Miroslaw Matlak (Leatherhead) on the clubhouse side

Cautions – Ritzema (JB) 49; Aquaye (HT) 81, Curtis (JB) 84, Colman (HT) 90+5

Corners – Horley Town (0) 1; Jersey Bulls (2) 4

Assists – none

Player of the Match – James Sunley

Added Time – 4.55 & 6.05 (11.00)