Jersey hosted a Guildford City side that had plummeted down the table since the reverse fixture. They had been top after winning their first five league games and six of their first seven. Their young team had been leaking goals and since the heady days of mid September they had won only one of their 21 league games when they defeated bottom team Colliers Wood United 3-0. They now stood 17th with a 7-4-17 42-74 record. Guildford had also fallen at the first hurdle in the F.A. Cup at Deal Town (0-2) and the F.A. Vase at home to Knaphill (2-3).

Jersey made two changes to the team defeated at Farnham Town on Tuesday evening. James Queree was back from holiday to replace John Lloyd on the right of the back four and reclaim the captaincy. Francis Lekimimati, who had come on for Fraser Barlow at Farnham, started this time with Barlow on the bench. Barlow was joined there by Luke Campbell, Joe Kilshaw, Kamen Nafkha and Will Byers.

Heavy rain during the week had wiped out the local programme for the second consecutive week but the early morning rain had given way to sunshine (10C) with a westerly wind by the time Guildford kicked off attacking the Robin Hood end.

Jersey took an early lead when a Miguel Carvalho cross shot from the right was parried by ‘keeper Mac Chisholm into the path of Adam Trotter who lifted the ball into the roof of the net from six yards. Pierce Roche needed a strong right arm to thwart a Ben Mitchell chip after he was set free down the right channel by Jack Phillips. Lekimamati, also from the right, gave Luke Watson a chance with a half volley at the near post but he could not keep his shot down. Trotter, who was playing further forward than usual, went on a mazy run before laying the ball back to Bickley whose powerful shot went straight to Chisholm.

Shortly afterwards Bickley with his back to his marker flicked the ball on for Watson to play in Trotter who placed the ball past Chisholm for his second goal. Chances continued to come apace before the break with a clever Trotter chip giving Jonny Le Quesne the chance to head in but he could not quite set himself to quite finish it off. Lekimamati then created another opportunity for Le Quesne which was not converted and finally Trotter looking for his hat trick goal, after not having scored since September, found the side netting after being forced wide.

Home supporters might have been hoping for an improvement in the goal difference after the interval but it was not to be. Instead, it was Guildford who came closest five minutes after the break when Ben Mitchell breaking forward down the right channel found the left post with his low cross shot. Carvalho broke free to the edge of the area before being hauled back by Guildford skipper James Glover which earned him a caution but Carvalho’s consequent free kick was high. Lekimamati brought another parry out of Chisholm but this time it fell to Luca Le Page to clear. Jersey then failed to make the progress down the flanks that they had made in the first half but it was a welcome victory for Jersey after gaining only 2 points from their previous 3 matches. Jersey Bulls 2 (Adam Trotter 9 & 32), Guildford City 0

Attendance – 646

Programme – 32pp, £3.50

Jersey Bulls – Pierce Roche, James Queree (c), Fergus Boyle, Harry Curtis Ben Le Rougetel, Luke Watson, Francis Lekimamati, Jonny Le Quesne, Lorne Bickley, Adam Trotter, Miguel Carvalho
Substitutes – 12. Luke Campbell (not used), 15. Joe Kilshaw (for Carvalho 78), 16. Kamen Nafkha (for Watson 70), 18. Will Byers (for Le Rougetel 70), 19. Fraser Barlow (for Bickley 74)

Red/White/Red; GK All Green

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

Guildford City – Mac Chisholm, Lewis Taylor, Jake Heighes, Tolu Ajayi-Obe, James Glover (c), Luca Le Page (wore 16), Jack Phillips, Owen Sims, Ben Mitchell, Conor Stillwell, Anthony Ogbanufe
Substitutes – 6. Keoindre Ellis-Vassell (for Ogbanufe 87), 12. James Whiting (for Taylor 66), 14. Leon Dadey (for Heighes 70), 15. Shane Johnson (for Phillips 66), 17. Niall Stillwell (for C.Stillwell 83)

***Le Page and N.Stillwell swapped roles after the teamsheets had been submitted

Yellow with light and dark blue shoulders/Royal Blue/Yellow; GK All Light Blue

Tristan Rees (Manager), Chris Adams (Assistant), Mo Sher (Physio.), Jack Knight (Kit Man)

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

Guildford City (4-3-3 R to L) 1; 3-5-4-2; 10-16-8; 11-9-7

Referee – Peter J. Georgiou (Tooting) of Greek Cypriot heritage, officiating for 35 years. His first visit to Springfield.

Assistants – Anthony Del Maschio (Horley) of Italian heritage, officiating for over 25 years, on the dug outs side. Ian Hempel (Chessington) in his 35th season, on the grandstand side. Both officiating in Jersey for the first time.

Caution – James Glover (GC) 54, Ben Mitchell (GC) 69

Corners – Jersey Bulls (1) 5, Guildford City (0) 2

Player of the Match – Adam Trotter

Added Time – 2.00 & 5.20 (7.20)