Jersey met Erith and Belvedere who share Welling United’s ground in Bexleyheath. They finished 7th in the Southern Counties East Premier Division last season, albeit 17 points away from the play-off positions. Jersey, having gained promotion, are now in the tier above.

Jersey made two changes to their starting line up with Luke Campbell and Fraser Barlow replacing Will Yates and Rai Dos Santos. Luke Shirley was the only substitute to remain in place, and he was joined by a youthful group comprising Ewan Brodie, James Carr, Stanley Dunne, Luke Coutanche and Pierce Roche.

Dunne would make his senior debut late in the game and for the last quarter of the match Jersey had four Luke’s on the pitch.

The visitors started brightly with Alfie Morgan shooting over the bar after sevenminutes and Jersey surviving a misunderstanding between Euan Van der Vliet and Sammy Sutcliffe three minutes later which almost let in Danny Lear.

The balance of play changed once Jersey opened the scoring. A delightful movestarted near the right corner flag and involved James Queree, Miguel Carvalho, Fraser Barlow and Jack Lumsden. Lumsden on the edge of box back heeled the ball into the path of Carvalho who had now moved inside and he shot into the bottom left corner off the foot of the post for his 22nd Jersey Bulls goal.

Charlie Cottrell parried a powerful Lorne Bickley shot after quarter of an hour and flicked a Lumsden cross away from the same players head five minutes later. Just after the first quarter Bickley did score the second. Jay Giles pumped a ball forward from the left which Joe Kilshaw just got a head to. It fell kindly for Bickley, who was being played onside by Anthony Morrison, and he went on to round Cottrell and tucked the ball into the bottom right corner before a recovering defender could clear.

Lear responded immediately for Erith but from twenty yards out Van der Vliet was able to push his attempt away. Three minutes later Bickley effectively put the tie to bed with his second of the day and seventh in three matches. Another flowing move between Carvalho, Queree and Lumsden ended with the latter laying it off to his left for Bickley to run on to left of the penalty spot. Bickley scuffed his shot to the bottom right but fortunately Cottrell had gambled on the shot going to the other corner.

After the break Freddie Baker volleyed powerfully into the left side netting before Bickley pulled a hamstring chasing a ball forward. Ladic Melconian blasted an Erith chance over before Lumsden featured again for the fourth goal. His pass inside from the left was laid off by Fraser Barlow to Queree on the edge of the area and he calmly curled his shot into the top right corner. This belied the fact that this was his first goal from open play since 2020. For the fifth Lumsden won a midfield tussle and played a one-two with Barlow before releasing Carvalho down the right. Carvalho cut in and from the edge of the box shot across Cottrell into the bottom left corner to seal a convincing win and set up a home tie with Fisher in the Preliminary Round.

Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet, Jack Lumsden (wore 12), Jay Giles (wore 14),James Queree (c), Luke Campbell, Luke Watson (wore 18), Fraser Barlow (wore 15), Joe Kilshaw, Lorne Bickley, Sammy Sutcliffe (wore 16), Miguel Carvalho
Substitutes – 2. Ewan Brodie (for Sutcliffe 70), 3. James Carr (for Giles 72), 10. Luke Shirley (for Kilshaw 67), 19. Stanley Dunne (for Lumsden 76), 20. Luke Coutanche (for Bickley 55), 21. Pierce Roche (sub GK) (not used), no 7th substitute

Elliot Powell (Manager), Dan Garton (Assistant), Andy Dewhurst (Coach), Karl Benest (Kit), Steve Martin (Medical)

Red/Navy Blue/Red; GK All Yellow

Erith & Belvedere – Charlie Cottrell, Anthony “A.J.” Morrison, Ronnie McLean, Ryan Fowler, Rob Strachan (c), Freddie Cray, Freddie Baker, Alfie Morgan, Danny Lear, Ladic Melconian, Harry Day
Substitutes – 12. Tommy Whitnell (not used), 14. Bobby Dunn (for Melconian 72), 15. Donneu Anderson (for Morrison 72), 16. Scott Jarvis (for Morgan 55), 17. Matthias Broomes (for Baker 72), 18. Macey Malyon (for Lear 65), no 7th substitute

White (with a Blue design)/White (with a Blue design)/White; GK All Green

Jamie Phipps (Manager), Peter Springett and Billy French (Coaches), Derin Mabifa (Medical)

Formations (R to L)
Jersey Bulls (4-3-3) 1; 4-16-5-14; 12-18-8; 11-9-15
Erith & Belvedere (4-4-2) 1; 2-6-5-3; 8-10-4-11; 7-9

Officials – Gerard “Gerry” Heron (Bromley), Ryan M. Hetherington (Kingston) (dug outs), Michael Jones (Orpington) (grandstand)

Cautions – James Queree (JB) 23, Alfie Morgan (EB) 38, Sammy Sutcliffe (JB) 51

Corners – Jersey Bulls (3) 3; Erith & Belvedere (1) 6

Assist(s) – Jack Lumsden (1st, 3rd & 5th), Joe Kilshsaw, Fraser Barlow

Player of the Match – Jack Lumsden

Added Time – 2.05 & 0.15 (2.20)