Jersey were notionally at home for this match but it was switched to Sussex. Initially it was to have been played at Bognor Regis Town until their first team had a re-arranged fixture which took priority and it was then re-located to Littlehampton Town.

Eastbourne, like Jersey, had received a bye in the Extra Preliminary Round and then defeated Whitehawk 4-2 on “penalties” after a 3-3 draw at the Eastbourne Oval.

The weather was beginning to become autumnal. So, although still relatively mild at 18C a strong Easterly wind blew rain in from “The Estuary” housing estate end. Jersey made two changes to the side that had ousted Carshalton. Ed Jeffries came in for Casey Nixon up front and Charlie Stirling was added to the substitutes. Eastbourne wore squad numbers and further added to the identification problem by switching 14 (Bradley Worcester) and 7 (Titas Zoglo) after submitting their team.

Charlie Brennan won the toss and opted to swap ends so that Jersey kicked into the wind for the first half, therefore Eastbourne kicked off attacking the clubhouse end.
It was almost one way traffic for the first half and Jersey could have been three up after four minutes. Ed Jeffries had a “goal” chalked off for an offside that would have needed V.A.R. at a higher level before Mackay Msezanes saved well from both Callum Gilroy and Barry Beatson. The constant pressure meant Eastbourne had little chance to attack but Ellis Shehu and the dangerous Sami Gadah both went close.

Jefferies eventually opened the scoring from a Beatson pass. Jeffries twenty-yard shot deflected off Ola Ademola and past a stranded Msezanes’ right side. Callum Gilroy extended the lead midway through the half. A Damon Huckerby corner led to pinball in the area and when an attempted clearance was blocked by Connor Lloyd Gilroy shot home through the legs of Anthony Thomas and in off the foot of the left post. Beatson made it three with the goal of the night. Jeffries returning the compliment of the first goal to allow Beatson to strike spectacularly into the top right corner from twenty-five yards. Before the interval Conor O’Keeffe hit the right post from a narrow angle and both he and Leighton Gilroy brought further saves from the beleaguered Msezanes in the Eastbourne goal.

Jersey brought on all three of their substitutes at the break and the dynamic of the match changed without the threat of Jeffries and Callum Gilroy up front, although substitute Charlie Stirling could have scored with his first touch. Eastbourne were able to get forward much more often and Shehu was also adjudged offside in the 48^thminute when an innocuous Ed Ratcliffe shot bounced back to him off Tiago Duarte’s chest. Leighton Gilroy had a “goal” chalked off before Gadah robbed Tomas Goncalves and chipped Duarte only to find the bar. Leighton Gilroy scored the fourth in added time. Receiving a long diagonal ball forward from Goncalves he ghosted past Alex Dadgostar before slipping it past the advancing Msezanes. There was still time for Eastbourne to gain a deserved consolation when Reggie Stocking followed up after Duarte had saved Ratcliffe’s initial shot.

Jersey Bulls U18 4 (Ed Jeffries 11, Callum Gilroy 24, Barry Beatson 35, Leighton Gilroy 90+2); Eastbourne United 1 (Reggie Stocking 90+3)

played at Littlehampton Town

Attendance – 64

Programme – No

Jersey Bulls U18 – Tiago Duarte, Damon Huckerby, Fergus Boyle, Charlie Brennan (c), Tomas Goncalves, Connor Lloyd, Leighton Gilroy, Barry Beatson, Conor O’Keeffe, Ed Jeffries, Callum Gilroy

Substitutes – 12. Joey O’Toole (for Jeffries 46), 14. Kyle Wilson (for Huckerby 46), 15. Charlie Stirling (for C.Gilroy 46), only three substitutes

White(Sky Blue & Pink trim)/Sky Blue(White sides)/White; GK All Yellow

Paul Renton (Manager), Gary Freeman (Assistant)

Eastbourne United U18 – 1. Mackay Msezanes, 2. Alex Dadgostar, 5. Sami Gadah, 6. Koby Farrell (c), 11. Ed Ratcliffe, 12. Reggie Stocking, 14. Bradley Worcester, 16. Ellis Shehu, 18. Ola Ademola, 20. Anthony Thomas, 21. Alfie Gander
Substitutes – 7. Titas Zoglo (for Worcester 56), 10. Mardy Ovenden (not used), 19. Baran Kartal (not used), 24. Arthur Grout (for Shehu 61), only four substitutes

Red/Navy Blue/Red; GK Green/Black/Green

Cliff Cant (Manager)

Formations
Jersey Bulls U18 (4-4-2 R to L) – 1; 2-6-5-3; 7-4-8-11; 10-9
Eastbourne United U18 (4-4-2 R to L) – 1; 21-6-18-2; 20-14-12-16; 11-5

Referee – Tazlim Alli (Chichester)

Assistants – James Wells (Littlehampton) on the grandstand / dug outs side and David Winter (also Littlehampton) on the cricket pitch side

Cautions – Koby Farrell (EU) 18, Charlie Stirling (JB) 70, Sami Gadah (EU) 73

Corners – Jersey Bulls U18 (3) 7; Eastbourne United U18 (0) 3

Player of the Match – Barry Beatson

Added Time – 1.55 & 5.30