Jersey met Erith Town for the first time in a match between the most northerly and southerly teams in the division. It was the first of four home games in ten days for Jersey as they fitted in a couple of fixtures re-arranged from earlier in the season. Win all four and they would be on the fringes of the play-offs. The relatively balmy conditions were the exact opposite of last week’s game at Eastbourne Town.

Erith won promotion from the Southern Counties East League two years ago via the play-offs. They finished 14th in their inaugural season at the higher level but this season they lay 18th with a 4-8-9 28-40 record. They started November by defeating table toppers Three Bridges and followed that up with another win and two draws. Three defeats followed beginning with a 3-7 home defeat by Margate before gaining a point at Beckenham Town, in which both teams had a player dismissed, before their match last Saturday with Deal Town was called off.

Jersey again made four changes. They had Luke Watson back from suspension and Lorne Bickley available. Fraser Barlow was promoted too after he had come off the bench to score the winner at Eastbourne. Pierce Roche was in goal as Euan Van der Vliet had gone on a lengthy holiday to the Far East. Adam Trotter, also back from suspension, and Luke Campbell were on the bench. In addition to Van der Vliet, Rai Dos Santos and James Carr made way.

Erith brought in Luke Northwood in defence and elevated Emmanuel Oluwasemo from the bench. Ethan Kevill and Oliver Milton dropped to being substitutes. Victor Damyanov, making his debut, was also on the bench. Bertie Valler and Albie O’Mara-Knapp were the two players replaced.

The classic games of two halves in the sense that the first was uneventful and the second contained all the meaningful action. Erith might have taken the lead in the 14th minute when James Queree left a high bouncing ball forward for Roche only for Destiny Oladipo to nip in between them but then put the ball wide. Jersey’s only look at goal came just after the half hour when Bickley scuffed an opportunity wide.

The early part of the second moiety was not much better but saw Jersey make a double change in midfield with Trotter and Stan Dunne coming on for Barlow and Joe Kilshaw. Shortly afterwards they conceded. Andrew Dythe put in a cross from 2 / 3the left which Roche outjumped Oluwasemo for but dropped the ball at the feet of Aaron Jeffrey who did the needful. Jersey looked in vain to the referee and then his assistant for a free kick for a foul on Roche, but the officials had it correct.

The double substitution paid off for the equaliser. Trotter played the ball wide right to Miguel Carvalho who found Dunne twenty yards out right of centre. The youngster weaved past a couple of tackles before shooting home which brought the somnambulant crowd to life at last. Within minutes Jonny Le Quesne had forced a save from a bicycle kick and Bickley had rattled the crossbar with a shot from the left. Bickley was only briefly denied. Dunne found Le Quesne overlapping on the right and his cross to the far post found the tall striker who headed the ball back and across ‘keeper Harrison Firth and into the bottom right corner.

Erith threw everyone forward, including Firth, for a free kick deep into stoppage time. Roche punched it clear and debutant Damyanov chased it back towards the halfway line. Trotter had tracked him and put in a lunging tackle which not only dispossessed Damyanov but found substitute Francis Lekimimati in the centre circle. He looked up, saw Firth still trying to get back and lobbed him from forty yards for the clinching goal.

Jersey Bulls – Pierce Roche, Jonny Le Quesne, Jay Giles (wore 14), James Queree (c), James Watling (wore 15), Luke Watson (wore 16), Fraser Barlow, Joe Kilshaw, Lorne Bickley, James Sunley (wore 20), Miguel Carvalho
Substitutes – 5. Luke Campbell (for Carvalho 90+1), 12. Adam Trotter (for Barlow 56), 13. Sam Devy (sub GK, not used), 19. Stan Dunne (for Kilshaw 56), 21, Francis Lekimamati (for Sunley 84)

Red/White/Red; GK All Green

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

Erith Town – Harrison Firth, Luke Northwood, Andrew Dythe, Jerome Jayaguru, Dexter Peter (c), Anthony Musoke (wore 18), Oluwadamilola Olusesi (wore 14), Aaron Jeffrey, Destiny Oladipo, Tom O’Connor (wore 16), Emmanuel Oluwasemo (wore 17)
Substitutes – 8. Ethan Kevill (for Jeffrey 64), 7. Oliver Milton (for Dythe 79), 11. Mecca Maxime-Samuels (for Oluwasemo 71), 15. Calum McGeechan (not used), 19. Victor Damyanov (for Northwood 85)

Black and Yellow wide stripes//Black/Yellow: GK All Dark Pink

Adam Woodward (Manager), Anthony Gradley (Coach), Georgia Brookes (Medical), Harry Taylor and Thomas Ash (injured players)

Formations (R to L)
Jersey Bulls (4-1-4-1) 1; 2-4-15-14; 16; 11-20-8-7; 9
Erith Town (4-4-2) 1; 2-4-5-18; 8-14-16-3;17-9

3 / 3Officials – Simon Cutler (Sheerness,), Byron Beard (West Malling, Kent) dug outs, Kieran Williamson (Rainham, Kent) grandstand

Cautions – Aaron Jeffrey (ET) 62, Anthony Musoke (ET) 74, Jonny Le Quesne (JB) 89

Corners –Jersey Bulls (1) 2; Erith Town (3) 4

Assist(s) – Miguel Carvalho, Jonny Le Quesne, Adam Trotter

Player of the Match – Stan Dunne

Added Time – 1.55 & 6.45 (8.40)