Jersey went into their penultimate “regular” season fixture knowing that they needed one more point to guarantee a home semi-final in the play-offs and six more points for a home final should they reach it.

Last season Fleet Town flirted with relegation and ended up safe by only four points in finishing 18th. They started the season under manager Jermaine McGlashan before he left in October for rivals A.F.C. Croydon Athletic. Elliot Hunt took over and Fleet had continued in mid table and stood 10th with a record of 15-4-16 65-72. They won 6 out of 7 league matches either side of Christmas but then only gained three draws from their next 6 games, the last of these a closely fought 1-1 against Jersey two months ago. There had been 4 wins and 4 losses since, including an excellent 3-0 win against Knaphill but the losses had been heavy, three by 0-5 and the other 1-4.

Jersey made three changes to the team that had beaten Horley Town on Tuesday with Francis Lekimamati, Luke Watson and Fraser Barlow rotated with Jonny Le Quesne, Miguel Carvalho and Ruben Mendes who were all on the bench along with Ben Le Rougetel and Will Byers. On a sunny afternoon but with a north-easterlywind keeping it to 12C Fleet Town kicked off attacking the Robin Hood end.

Jersey dominated the match but it was not until just before half time that they took the lead. In the opening minute Lorne Bickley put a good chance over from close in, a Luke Campbell header from a corner went wide and a Bickley cross shot from an Adam Trotter set up missed to the left. Just when it looked like Jersey would be held until the interval Trotter inspired two more attempts. Fraser Barlow’s was blocked but from the consequent throw in Trotter found James Queree who dummied to shoot but laid the ball to his left for Bickley to advance and shoot under Elliot Hunt. In added time Bradley Manning sent a looping hopeful punt in from theright wing which had Pierce Roche backpeddling to scoop away from the top left corner.

The second goal arrived early in the second half. Substitute Will Byers who had come on in the first half for an injured Jay Giles robbed Leo Downing on the right, galloped forward and his cross to the near post was shinned home by Barlow as he beat two defenders to the ball. Luke Watson had a shot cleared off the line by Joe Wotton and Bickley just missed on the right.Roche did very well to block a Matt Surmon breakaway on the hour before Bickley sealed the match. He was just beaten to a ball forward from Kamen Nafkha but Hunt’s toe poke cannoned back off him enabling Bickley to hold off Wotton and roll the ball home.

Roche conceded his first goal in 540 minutes when Dan Bone glanced in a six-yard header from a Bradley Pegg cross but Jersey hit back with two more in the closing moments. Substitute defender Jim Ward inexplicably turned a low cross from Carvalho on the right into his own bottom right corner before Byers robbed Tommy Taylor and set Mendes free in oceans of space, he did not disappoint. The afternoon ended with Trotter presented with the U.K. Supporters Player of the Year award.

Jersey Bulls 5 (Lorne Bickley 44 & 68, Fraser Barlow 49, Jim Ward own goal 89, Ruben Mendes 90+1), Fleet Town 1 (Dan Bone 85)

Attendance – 685

Programme – 32pp, £3.50 (online only)

Jersey Bulls – Pierce Roche, James Queree (c), Jay Giles, Harry Curtis, Luke Campbell, Kamen Nafkha, Francis Lekimamati, Luke Watson, Lorne Bickley, Adam Trotter, Fraser Barlow
Substitutes – 12. Ben Le Rougetel (for Nafkha 71), 15. Jonny Le Quesne (not used), 16. Will Byers (for Giles 34), 17. Miguel Carvalho (for Lekimamati 64), 18. Ruben Mendes (for Trotter 64)

Red/White/Red; GK All Green

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

Fleet Town – Elliott Hunt (vc), Joe Wotton, Tommy Taylor, Josh Nunes, Bradley Pegg (wore 20), ArgendAhmetaj, Bradley Manning, Luke Phair, Dan Bone, Matt Surmon (c), Leo Downing
Substitutes – 12. Liam Pestle (not used), 15. Dan Gray (for Downing 73), 16. Ahmed Haidary (for Surmon 84),17. Mihail Marinescu (not used), 18. Jim Ward (for Phair 71)

Yellow/Black/Black; GK All Purple with Black tracksuit bottoms

Elliott Hunt (Player/Manager), Luke Barron and Darryl Evans (Coaches), Tommy Whitby (Squad Player)

Formations
Jersey Bulls (4-2-3-1 R to L) 1; 2-4-5-3; 6-8; 7-10-11; 9
Fleet Town (5-4-1 R to L) 1; 2-4-8-20-3; 7-10-6-11; 9

Referee – Ivan Yordanov (Ickenham) Qualified 2019, 3rdseason with the Combined Counties League, his first Jersey fixture. Attached to the Bulgarian N.A.T.O. fleet.

Assistants – Christopher Murray (Wandsworth) on the dug outs side. Qualified in 2014 and in his 5th season with the Combined Counties League. Gareth Mays (Tadworth) on the grandstand side. Started with the Suburban League, later ran lines for the Southern League as well as refereeing in the Combined Counties League.

Caution – Matt Surmon 30

Corners – Jersey Bulls (4) 4; Fleet Town (3) 6

Player of the Match – Will Byers

Added Time – 4.05 & 4.55 (9.00)