The inaugural Bulls Cup, sponsored by Grant Thornton, kicked off in 26C heat with the hosts entertaining Essex based Hashtag United.

Hashtag were founded in 2016 by Spencer Carmichael-Brown whose father Steve was acting as their physiotherapist for this trip. After two years playing exhibition matches, including one at Springfield, which were filmed and put on YouTube, they joined the Eastern Counties League in 2018.

In their initial season they shared the Haringey Borough ground and won the Division 1 South title. Promoted to the Essex Senior League they moved in with Tilbury and were lying second with games in hand when the season was halted. A third season saw a third ground share, now with Bowers and Pitsea. Again, the season was curtailed, this time with Hashtag in pole position. Like Jersey they gained promotion based on the combination of their record over the two abandoned seasons and last season competed in Isthmian League Division 1 North where they finished eighth.

Hashtag kicked off attacking the Robin Hood end but early play was mostly in midfield as the players adapted to the heat. Just before the half hour Sol Solomon wriggled through the Hashtag defence but could only find the side netting to the right of the goal. Four minutes later he opened the scoring as he latched on to a long throw by Kieren Stephens from near to the dug outs to the penalty spot. Harassed by a defender his first shot was parried by ‘keeper Anthony Page before he tucked in the rebound from close range.

Hashtag equalised three minutes later when a long ball down the right by Billy Willis found Kojo Apenteng in space. Central defenders Jack Lumsden and Sammy Sutcliffe vainly appealed to linesman, Neil Giannoni, for offside. Apenteng did not wait on ceremony and advanced before hitting the ball past Pierce Roche’s right hand.

Jersey regained the lead early in the second half when Jonny Le Quesne’s flick on gave Lorne Bickley a ball to chase down the right channel. Holding off defender Harry Haysom his shot struck the advancing Carlos Simeon and trickled just inside the left post as Jersey supporters held their breath.

Just before the hour half-time substitute Jake Prince finished a mazy run by passing inside to Solomon whose shot from the edge of the area just went wide of the right post. Five minutes later a similar move saw Prince set up Ruben Mendes and he placed his shot in to the roof of the net to put Jersey 3-1 up. Another Prince raid ten minutes from time presented late substitute Darryl Mvalo with a chance but his first touch gave him a narrow angle to work with and Simeon saved at the foot of the right post.

In the last minute of normal time Jermaine Francis thought he had reduced the arrears for Hashtag only to find that linesman Harry Walker had spotted him narrowly offside. Perhaps frustrated by this a couple of minutes later Francis hacked at Mendes’ heels in front of the dug outs and when pushed firmly away by the injured party Francis went down holding his face as though poleaxed. This attempt to exacerbate the situation was swiftly brought under control before the final whistle sounded shortly afterwards.

Jersey Bulls 3 (Sol Solomon 32, Lorne Bickley 53, Ruben Mendes 64);

Hashtag United 1 (Kojo Apenteng 35)

Attendance – 346

Programme – covering all four matches, 32pp, £2

Jersey Bulls – Pierce Roche, Frank Tobin, James Carr, Jack Lumsden, Sammy Sutcliffe, Joe Kilshaw, Kieren Stephens, Adam Trotter (c), Lorne Bickley (wore 16), Jonny Le Quesne, Sol Solomon

Substitutes –12. Harry Curtis (for Lumsden 62), 14. Francis Lekimamati (for Solomon 46), 15. Josh Coutanche (for Carr 62), 18. Darryl Mvalo (for Bickley 76), 19, John Lloyd (for Sutcliffe 76), 20. Jake Prince (for Stephens 46), 21. Euan Van der Vliet (not used), 22. Ruben Mendes (for Kilshaw 64), 23. Max Thompson (for Trotter 82)

Note – Richard Hebert named as sub GK on Sunday not nominated for this match.

Red/White/Red; GKs both All Green

Gary Freeman (Manager), Kevan Nelson (Assistant), Dan Seviour (Coach), Richard Hebert (GK Coach)

Hashtag United – 1. Anthony Page, 3. Max Harbrow, 5. Harry Haysom, 6. Joe Debell, 9. Max Teniola, 10. Joni Vukaj, 12. Eman Okunja, 14. Billy Willis, 16. Jake Lindsey, 17. Percy Kiangbeni (c), 19. Kojo Apenteng

Substitutes – 2. Matthew Wooldridge (for Vukaj 46), 4. Eli Benoit (for Harbrow 62), 7. Jermaine Francis (for Haysom 62), 8. Mekhi Hyde (not used), 11. Pedro Carvalho (for Lindsey 62), 13. Carlos Simeon (for Page 46), 15. Tommy Sykes (for Apenteng 82), 18. Iyiola Adebayo (not used), 20. Nathan Wilson (for Willis 82)

Note – Adebayo was named in the initial starting line up but injured himself in the warm up and was replaced by Vukaj before the match started. Ben Brookes, Max Cornhill and Toby Aromolaran were not named in this squad but played on Sunday.

Blue (Yellow shoulders) / Blue (Yellow trim) / Yellow (Blue tops); GKs both All Turquoise

Jay Devereux (Manager), Joe Keith (Assistant), Paul Prosser (Coach), Steve Carmichael-Brown (Physio.), Ellis Deveruex (Kit), Marcus Stamp (Media)

Formations
Jersey Bulls (4-3-3 R to L) 1; 2-5-4-3; 6-8-10; 7-16-11
Hashtag United (4-4-2 R to L) 1; 14-6-5-3; 19-17-12-16; 10-9

Referee – Callum Peter (Guildford) referee of the remarkable home match v Walton & Hersham in November 2021. Since then promoted to Level 3.

Assistants – Harry Walker (Jersey) on the dug-out side and Neil Giannoni (Jersey) on the grandstand side.

Drinks breaks (26C) – 21, 38 and 67 minutes

Cautions – None

Corners – Jersey Bulls (2) 6, Hashtag United (2) 6

Player of the Match Award – Jake Prince