After relegation from the Southern League Fleet Town spent two seasons in the Wessex League Premier Division before being transferred to the Combined Counties League in 2021. Their debut season was one of struggle and they finished 16^th, with Jersey winning both matches 3-0. Jersey won there again in late January, this time 2-0, and Fleet are now flirting with relegation lying 18^th with a 8-8-18 41-69 record.

In mid-November they appointed Jermaine McGlashan as their player-manager. The former Cheltenham, Gillingham and Southend player brought in a raft of new players with none of those met in April still in the squad for our visit on January 31st. The changes have continued and only two of those outfield players started again today.

Jersey made three starting changes to the team that beat Guildford on Wednesday. James Queree, Luke Watson and Sammy Henia-Kamau rotated with Frank Tobin, Joe Kilshaw and Fraser Barlow who were all on the bench along with Kamen Nafkha and Jack Boyle.

On a sunny afternoon of 14C with an easterly breeze Jersey kicked off attacking the Town end. Jersey adopted a new 4-4-2 formation which proved far more fluid going forward. They dominated the early proceedings and had numerous chances in the opening half hour to open their account. Luke Watson Jay Giles, Lorne Bickley and Henia-Kamau all went close before Bickley had a “goal” ruled out for offside in the 17^th minute by the senior assistant.

Jersey eventually took the lead when Watson did well to cushion a header in to the top right corner from a Francis Lekimamati corner that was just behind him. Shortly afterwards McGlashan flashed a shot just wide of the angle in a rare Fleet sortie. Jersey resumed the initiative with Henia-Kamau, Jonny Le Quesne, Bickley and Giles all going close to doubling the lead before the break.

On the resumption Bickley and Le Quesne put in further attempts before Lekimamati headed back a goal kick which then flicked off Adam Ahmed to Jack Brewer on the edge of the box. Brewer dithered and was dispossessed by Henia-Kamau who went on to round Callum Smart and beat the frantically recovering Brewer on the line. Two minutes later it could have been three as Henia-Kamau set up Le Quesne who dragged his shot on to the left post from ten yards.

Wholesale changes to both team’s midfields resulted in Fleet coming back into the match in the later stages. Nevertheless, Henia-Kamau hit the bar in the 88^th minute with substitute Jack Boyle putting the rebound over from six yards. Fleet scored their first goal in four matches against Jersey in added time when Connor Young put in a diagonal lofted ball from the left which Nathan Rogers went for. That was sufficient to put Euan Van der Vliet in two minds and the untouched ball went on into the bottom right corner. There was still time for Jersey supporters to have their hearts in their mouths as a long throw was not dealt with and Momodou Jallow was only just wide.

Jersey Bulls 2 (Luke Watson 31, Sammy Henia-Kamau 57),
Fleet Town 1 (Connor Young 90+2)

Attendance – 649

Programme – 32pp, £2

Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet, Sammy Sutcliffe (wore 21), Jay Giles, James Queree (c), Luke Campbell, Luke Watson, Francis Lekimamati, Adam Trotter, Lorne Bickley (wore 16), Jonny Le Quesne, Sammy Henia-Kamau
Substitutes – 12. Frank Tobin (for Lekimamati 85), 14. Joe Kilshaw (for Watson 85), 15. Kamen Nafkha (for Trotter 73), 18. Jack Boyle (for Le Quesne 67), 22. Fraser Barlow (for Bickley 73)

Red/White/Red; GK All Yellow

Gary Freeman (Manager), Dan Seviour (Coach), Richard Hebert (GK Coach), Steve Martin (Physio.)

Fleet Town – Callum Smart, Joshua Nunes, Tom Wensley, Adam Ahmed, James Gorman, Jack Brewer, Jermaine McGlashan, Nhoj Witter (c), Louis Blake (vc), Connor Young, Oreofe Bello
Substitutes – 12. Jensen Mansel (for Ahmed 67), 14. Momodou Jallow (for Bello 67), 15. Nyero Lule (for Nunes 70), 16. Nathan Rogers (for Witter 73), 17. Fareed Hakeem-Habeeb (for McGlashan 62)

Jermaine McGlashan (Player-Manager), Chris Zebroski (Assistant), Elliot Hunt (Coach), Olivia Boulton (Physio.)

Sky Blue (Navy Blue shoulders)/Navy Blue/Navy Blue; GK All Light Green

Formations
Jersey Bulls (4-4-2 R to L) 1; 21-4-5-3; 7-6-10-8; 16-9
Fleet Town (4-4-2 R to L) 1; 2-6-5-3; 7-8-4-11; 10-9

Referee – Thomas P. Healey (Hillingdon), 38, born in Shrewsbury, qualified in 2008.
Started in the Middlesex Leagues before spending 8 seasons with the Spartan South Midlands League before joining the Combined Counties League this season.

Assistants – Harry Walker (Jersey) on the dug outs side and Stefan Roman (Jersey) on the grandstand side

Cautions – Adam Trotter (JB) 37, Nyero Lule (FT) 90

Sin Bin – Kamen Nafkha (JB) 90+3

Corners – Jersey Bulls (4) 8, Fleet Town (1) 3

Player of the Match Award – Jay Giles