Sandhurst were Division 1 champions last season after completing a long backlog of fixtures. They had struggled earlier in the season when they had a difficult run of fixtures and this had looked set to continue when Jersey visited them in September. After going two behind the Bulls had led 4-2 when they scored in the first added minute only for Sandhurst to quickly bring it back to 4-4. Sandhurst had improved their position since then and now sat 12th with a 11-4-16 56-72 record. However, they had lost their last four matches. including a 2-6 loss at strugglers Epsom & Ewell the previous week.

Jersey made three changes to the team that had won at Sheerwater on Tuesday. Harry Curtis replaced Sammy Sutcliffe in the centre of defence, Fergus Boyle displaced Joe Kilshaw, with Fraser Barlow back up front instead of OdinakaNwokoro. There were positional changes too as Jersey went for a three man defence with Jonny Le Quesne reverting to midfield as the Bulls sought to get more players into attacking positions.

A dampish morning gave way to a drier (9C) afternoon that saw Sandhurst kick off attacking the Robin Hood end and it was Sandhurst that had two good early chances. Harvey Seeman, scorer of the late equaliser in the reverse fixture, twice raced on to through balls. The first received from Lewis Wilson saw Seeman blocked by an onrushing Pierce Roche and the second from a ball out of his own area by Kieran Brown enabled Seeman to hit a cross shot volley that Roche gathered at the second attempt after saving low to his right.

However, it was Jersey that took the lead. A hanging cross from Boyle on the left saw the visiting ‘keeper, Henry Pidgeon, hesitate and Fraser Barlow at full stretch near the penalty spot managed to loop a header over him and on to the inside of the right post. It bounced across towards the opposite corner and had done enough before Sandhurst captain, Harry Hamblin hooked it away. Three minutes later Jersey were fortunate when a corner on the left was headed back by Ben Harris beyond the far post and Luke Campbell sticking out a foot found his own post before the ball rebounded into the grateful arms of Roche. Le Quesne had a powerful drive deflected just wide of the right post as Jersey went in to the break one up.

The lead did not last long after the resumption as a swift counter attack saw Sandhurst equalise. Pidgeon saved from Boyle and quickly threw out to Ralph Vigrass on the right. He sent a very long diagonal ball forward to Amari Fashanu who advanced and picked out Seeman at the far post to slide home ahead of Campbell.The goal illustrated the vulnerability of a three man defence to long balls forward to the flanks and ten minutes later Boyle was taken off and the back four reinstated.

Jersey searched for a winner. Midway through the half Adam Trotter sent Miguel Carvalho clear in the left channel but one touch too many allowed Pidgeon to close him down. In added time a Le Quesne header found Pidgeon and a rising Barlow twenty yard shot from a Le Quesne knock down flashed just over the bar.

Jersey Bulls 1 (Fraser Barlow 30), Sandhurst Town 1 (Harvey Seeman 48)

Attendance – 544

Programme – 32pp, £3.50

Jersey Bulls – Pierce Roche, James Queree (c), Fergus Boyle, Harry Curtis, Luke Campbell, Luke Watson, Francis Lekimamati, Jonny Le Quesne, Fraser Barlow, Adam Trotter, Miguel Carvalho
Substitutes – 15. Will Byers (for Lekimamati 44), 16. Kamen Nafkha (not used), 17. Callum Gilroy (for Boyle 59), 18. Ben Le Rougetel (not used), 19. Odinaka Nwokoro(for Watson 87)

Red/White/Red; GK All Yellow

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

Sandhurst Town – Henry Pidgeon (wore 20), Kieran Brown, Callum Wright, Lewis Wilson, Harry Hamlin (c), Ben Harris, Ralph Vigrass, Seb Linturn, Harvey Seeman, Amari Fashanu, Elliot Cannon
Substitutes – 12. Mason Slade (for Seeman 70), 14. Luis Edwards (for Cannon 63), 15. Charlie Lawrence (for Fashanu 84), 16. Oliver Turner (for Vigrass 88), 17. Ryan Griggs (for Linturn 80)

Royal Blue & Black wide striped fronts with all Royal Blue backs/Black/Black; GK All very Light Green

Adam Hopkins (Manager), Jamie Cleary (Assistant), Megan Hill (Physio.)

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

Referee – Matthew Funnell (Camberley) 22, qualified in 2015 following his father into officiating. Has always been with the Combined Counties League.

Assistants – Roger Wells (Coulsdon) a familiar face, last here for the Horley fixture in December 2022, on the dug outs side and Barrie Funnell (Camberley) qualified in 1996, father of the referee, on the grandstand side.

Cautions – Francis Lekimamati (JB) 22, Seb Linturn (ST) 28, Harvey Seeman (ST) 41, Harry Hamblin (ST) 45+1, Kieran Brown (ST) 54

Corners – Jersey Bulls (3) 7, Sandhurst Town (1) 3

Player of the Match – Jonny Le Quesne

Added Time – 1.20 & 6.45 (8.05)