Jersey hosted Deal Town fresh from their 4-1 victory over front runners Faversham Town on Tuesday evening. That lifted Deal to 7th (9-1-7 37-33), the same position they finished in last season in their debut season in the Isthmian League. They had been promoted after winning the Southern Counties East title in 2023-24.
Jersey added Toby Ritzema (injured), Luke Campbell (suspended), Jamie Watling (holiday) and James Carr to their squad, who had all missed the 1-2 defeat at Broadbridge Heath on Tuesday night. Daniel Jinadu, Sonny Cassidy and Harry Mackenzie made way. Campbell was included in the starting line up as was Francis Lekimamati who had been a substitute at Broadbridge Heath. Adam Trotter and James Sunley moved to the bench alongside Carr, Ritzema and Watling.
Deal made one change to their Faversham team with Macauley Murray, a substitute on Tuesday, replacing Maxwell Niblett and taking over the armband from Josh Vincent. Niblett was on the bench alongside Alfie Foster who replaced Rory Smith.
Jersey got off to a dream start, scoring after just 46 seconds. Jonny Le Quesne broke up an early Deal attack and from the loose ball Lekimamati set Bickley galloping up the right channel. His low cross eluded Rai Dos Santos in the middle but Miguel Carvalho arrived at the far post to apply the coup de grace from six yards.
It needed two excellent Euan Van der Vliet saves before half time to maintain the lead. After nine minutes Ashley Miller flicked the ball over Lekimamati’s head with his right foot before hitting a volley with his left from the edge of the box. Van der Vliet managed to get two hands to it as he dived to his left to push the ball over. On the half hour Alex Green struck a powerful shot from ten yards which took a deflection and the ‘keeper got down low to his right to push it around the post.
2 / 3After the interval Jersey continued to resist both the nippy Deal forwards and the aerial bombardment that resulted from Jack Paxman’s long throws. Just before the hour Dos Santos almost doubled the lead and had he succeeded it would probably have been the goal of the season. A mazy run up the left flank starting twenty-five yards from his own goal saw him resist three hefty challenges before just failing to curl the ball into the bottom right corner from twenty yards out at the other end.
Deal continued to press and looked the better side for spells, and it needed a good Le Quesne tackle to prevent a close in Miller shot when he was well placed after being set up by Wes Hennessey with twenty minutes to go.
With just over ten minutes left substitute Ritzema played an excellent through ball inside the defender for Dos Santos run on to only for James Tonkin to manage to push his resultant shot over the bar. Within a minute Deal were level. A long ball forward down the right by Paxman found substitute Owen Wilkinson, scorer of two added time goals against Faversham. He beat Jay Giles at the right byline and put in a low cross and Campbell stretching at the near post only managed to deflect the ball agonisingly slowly just inside the far post as the Jersey crowd held its breath as time seemed to briefly stand still. A prolonged bout of “handbags” ensued as Deal tried to retrieve the ball for a quick restart as they sensed the chance of a winner.
However, it was Jersey that snatched the vital goal, ninety-three minutes and thirty-two seconds after their opener. Carvalho on the right overhit a cross to the far post which Ritzema did well to retrieve by the left corner flag. He flicked the ball inside to fellow substitute James Sunley who cut inside Paxman and from the left byline played the ball to the near post where Dos Santos just beat a defender to stab home from a couple of yards to bookend the match with the goals at either end of it.

Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet, Jonny Le Quesne, Jay Giles (wore 14), James Queree (c), Luke Campbell, Luke Watson (wore 16), Francis Lekimamati (wore 21), Joe Kilshaw, Lorne Bickley, Rai Dos Santos, Miguel Carvalho
Substitutes – 3. James Carr (not used), 6. Toby Ritzema (for Lekimamati 62), 12. Adam Trotter (for Kilshaw 83), 15. Jamie Watling (for Dos Santos 90+6), 20. James Sunley (for Watson 83)
Red/White/Red; GK All Yellow

Elliot Powell (Manager), Dan Garton (Assistant), Dave Kennedy and Andy Dewhurst (Coaches), Karl Benest (Kit), Steve Martin (Medical)
Deal Town – 1. James Tonkin, 2. Zak Hammond, 5. Jacob Strouts, 8. Macauley Murray (c), 10. Ben Chapman, 14. Jack Paxman (vc), 15. Alex Green, 16. Ifeoluwa Oni, 17. Ashley Miller, 20. Josh Vincent, 24. Wes Hennessey
Substitutes – 3. Jack Penny (for Vincent 72), 4. Alfie Foster (for Hammond 87), 12. Maxwell Niblett (not used), 18. Jack Hanson (for Ofi 67), 19. Owen Wilkinson (for Murray 67)
3 / 3All Light Blue; GK All Black
Steve King (Manager), Dean Hill (Assistant), Kieron Hollier, Daniel Levey and David Briggs (Coaches), Robert Edwards (Medical)

Formations (R to L)
Jersey Bulls (4-1-4-1) 1; 2-4-5-14; 16; 21-8-10-11; 9
Deal Town (4-4-2) 1; 2-20-5-15; 16-10-8-14; 24-17

Officials – Mudiwa G. “Giff” Manyange (Slough), Jones P. “Paul” Agyei-Tabi (Bromley) dug outs, Oliver W.J. Storey (also Bromley) grandstand
Caution(s) – Luke Campbell (JB) 36, Macauley Murray (DT) 49, Luke Watson (JB) 78, James Queree (JB) and Ashley Miller (DT) 82, Rai Dos Santos (JB) 90

Corners – Jersey Bulls (2) 5, Deal Town (5) 9

Assist(s) – Lorne Bickley, James Sunley

Player of the Match – Euan Van der Vliet

Added Time – 1.55 & 7.20 (9.15)