Jersey hoped to emulate last season’s performance in reaching the last sixteen of the F.A. Vase by eliminating Hamworthy Recreation of Wessex League Division 1.

Hamworthy, a suburb of Poole, who were named Hamworthy Engineering until 2000, joined the Dorset Combination in 1992. They dominated the league over the next thirty years, winning it nine times and never finishing lower than sixth. After their ninth win in 2022 they eventually made the step up to Wessex Division 1 where they finished fourth in their inaugural season. That made them eligible to compete in the F.A. Vase this season where they reached the last thirty-two with wins against Fawley, Bournemouth (Poppies), Bovey Tracey, Fairford Town and Wells City.

They were again lying fourth in the league this season, but with games in hand on those above them, and an unbeaten 15-2-0 70-17 record. They were still in the Dorset Senior Cup and their only defeat this season had been in the Wessex League Cup where they went down, on “penalties”, to Moneyfields of the division above.

Jersey made one change to their starting line up with Francis Lekimamati replacing Miguel Carvalho. To accommodate this Jonny Le Quesne moved to the left flank as opposed to the right of last week and Fraser Barlow adopted the more forward role to feed off Lorne Bickley rather than the reverse. It did not prove to be a success.
Will Byers and Kamen Nafkha were added to the bench and both were used, the latter coming on for his 100^thappearance for the Bulls.

Jersey kicked off attacking the Town End on an overcast day with the thermometer registering a niggardly 2C but at least the snow, Jersey’s first for six years, that had fallen on Monday had disappeared.

Just as last week two well organised sides nullified one another with a consequent lack of goalmouth action to cheer the chilly spectators. Hamworthy took the lead six minutes after the interval when a Tyler Rudd cross from the right was dropped by Pierce Roche as he was challenged by George Deem. The ball ran straight to the unmarked Chris Long 12 yards out whose shot just eluded Harry Curtis on the line.

With just over ten minutes left Ruben Mendes was brought on after 14 months out injured and with two minutes remaining he equalised with a speculative 22 yard shot from left of centre. Matty Fredericks in the visitors goal badly misjudged it and only succeeded in deflecting it in off his right hand. So “penalties” it was.

They were taken at the Robin Hood end with Hamworthy leading off. Roche partially redeemed himself by diving to his right to save from Long, late substitute James King put them on the score board before Deem’s attempted Panenka failed. Ben Cooper then ensured Jersey had to take their fourth. For Jersey Luke Campbell, Lekimamati and captain James Queree all scored to pave the way for the returning Mendes to

cap off his return by scoring the decider and put Jersey into the last sixteen again.

Jersey Bulls 1 (Ruben Mendes 88), Hamworthy Recreation 1 (Chris Long 51)
Jersey won 4-2 on “penalties”

Attendance – 560

Programme – 32 pages, £3.50

Jersey Bulls – Pierce Roche, James Queree (c), James Carr, Harry Curtis, Luke Campbell, Ben Le Rougetel, Jonny Le Quesne, Luke Watson, Lorne Bickley, Fraser Barlow, Francis Lekimamati
Subs – 12. Will Byers (for Watson 68), 14. Kamen Nafkha (for Le Rougetel 68), 15. Fergus Boyle (not used), 16. Joe Kilshaw (not used), 17. Miguel Carvalho (not used), 18. Seaney McColgan (for Watson 87), 19. Ruben Mendes (for Barlow 79)

Red/White/Red; GK All Yellow

Gary Freeman (Manager), Kevan Nelson (Assistant), Dan Seviour (Coach), Steve Martin (Physio)

Hamworthy Recreation – Matty Fredericks (c), Ollie Woolley, Ollie Wilson, Brian Foulger, Lewis McMurdo, Harvey Doe, Tyler Rudd, Ben Cooper (vc), Chris Long, George Deem, Frank Rosenwald (wore 27)
Substitutes – 12. Tom Cooper (not used), 13. Rocco Parmer (sub GK) (not used), 14. Will Gage (not used), 15. Brad Hill (for Rosenwald 83), 16. Elliot Lines (not used), 17. James King (for Woolley 90+5), 18. Ash Boyt (for Rudd 89)

All Green; GK All Light Blue (Black shoulders)

Kirk Grice & Wayne Smith (Joint (Managers), Ryan Andress & Jamie Moores (Coaches), Steve Sharkey (GK Coach), Andy Savage (Physio.)

Formations
Jersey Bulls (4-1-4-1 R to L) 1; 2-4-5-3; 6; 7-8-10-11; 9
Hamworthy Recreation Alton (4-3-3 R to L) 1; 2-6-5-3; 7-4-8; 27-10-9

Referee – Ciaran S. Fidler (Brighton) 30, Level 3, Initially with the Sussex and Surrey Leagues. 15^th season. Now Isthmian League refereeing and National League lines.

Assistants – Nathaniel Roff (Brighton). Native of Weymouth. Qualified 2008, Dorset, Wessex and now Southern Combination on dug out side. Peter Andrews (Hassocks)

4^th season, Mid Sussex and Southern Combination on grandstand side. Tom Murray (Crawley) on the line here for the Horley match in December 2022 was 4^th Official.

Cautions – James Queree (JB) 3, Harvey Doe (HR) 44, Frank Rosenwald (HR) 75, Ollie Wilson (HR) 90+4

Corners – Jersey Bulls (4) 6; Hamworthy Recreation (1) 3

Player of the Match – Jonny Le Quesne

Added Time – 2.40 & 6.50 (9.30)