Jersey Bulls got their league campaign off to a dream start by crushing a young and inexperienced Spelthorne side. Jersey had done the double over the Sunbury side last season (3-0 at home & 4-0 away) when the Surrey side had finished 17th and only escaped relegation late in the season after being docked 8 points for the use of an ineligible player. Fraser Barlow had scored three times in those matches and Miguel Carvalho a brace in the home game.

Spelthorne had already suffered two home defeats this season, both by a single goal. Firstly 0-1 against the higher step Burgess Hill Town in the F.A. Cup last Saturday and then 1-2 against Balham in the league on Tuesday. Jersey scored six and with more composed finishing in the second half could have had double figures.

The dramatis personae showed five changes to the team that lost the play-off semi-final three months before, although there was only one “new boy” as such. That was Toby Ritzema who had returned to the Island after graduating from Loughborough University. Whilst there he had been playing for Basford United, two steps higher than Jersey Bulls. He effectively took on the attacking midfield role previously occupied by Adam Trotter who was now travelling around South America for the first half of the season.

Euan Van der Vliet returned in goal to replace Pierce Roche and Jay Giles, who had been injured in May, took Will Byers place, albeit on the other flank. To accommodate this Jonny Le Quesne moved from midfield and played at right back with captain James Queree moving back into the centre in place of the holidaying Harry Curtis. This re-shuffling enabled Carvalho to be brought back in as an attacking midfielder on the left flank and finally Joe Kilshaw took the place of the now retired Kamen Nafkha in midfield with instructions to take on a more attacking role.

New manager Elliot Powell was delighted with the way the team started quickly and continued to push forward at every opportunity. Four up after only a quarter of the match it gave him the opportunity to utilise all his four substitutes by the three-quarter mark on a hot day in South-West London. With another match in the same area on Tuesday evening, against Epsom & Ewell, it enabled him to give some respite to the players carrying knocks. After a less than inspiring pre-season in front of goal it was an encouraging turn around.

Powell soon learnt one of the bugbears of away travel often endured by Gary Freeman. Due to delays with incoming flights and then luggage Jersey arrived late to the ground and there had to be a delay of half an hour to the kick off. Everyone was kept informed and Jersey arrived off the coach fully already changed and ready to play after a short warm up. Memories of a successful visit to Farnham Town in December 2019!

Ritzema burst through after only three minutes and hit the right post. The ball was returned by Luke Watson to the overlapping Le Quesne whose cross was slid in by Barlow, only for a linesman’s flag to halt the premature celebrations.

Spelthorne’s dangerous Mark Soares dragged a shot narrowly wide before Jersey hit back. Carvalho, who was rampant down the left flank in the early stages, set up Kilshaw who found the bottom left corner. Two minutes later Barlow did well to beat the Spelthorne ‘keeper, Bob Honey, and lifted it to the far post where leading scorer Lorne Bickley adroitly headed it home.

Spelthorne skipper Kyle Eakin went close with a header before the Carvalho-Kilshawcombination struck again. This time a cross from the left byline finding the midfielder at the far post for Kilshaw to net his second after only having scored once previously in his Bulls career.

Eakin hit Van der Vliet’s left post with a header from a Soares free kick but Carvalho took matters into his own hands for the fourth goal. Cutting inside after receiving a long crossfield ball from Watson on the right, Carvalho unleashed a curling twenty yarder that flummoxed Honey who gave the impression that it had been deflected as he was wrong footed but it only confirmed Honey’s sticky start!

Bickley found the side netting from a close in half volley but just after the half hour Ritzema was caught late by Mark McLeod and the dominant midfielder was replaced

by Jay Dos Santos at the interval as a precautionary measure with the match already won. Within seconds of the restart Bickley had his second as yet another left sided attack launched by Giles sent him galloping away. His early taken shot managed to “nutmeg” Honey at the near post as Jersey went nap.

Play became scrappy around the hour mark as with the match effectively over both sides made numerous changes. It proved effective for the hosts as they snatched a goal back shortly afterwards. A break down the right by Soares saw the ball pulled back by one substitute, Ramarni Edwards, to another and Jordan Junor gave Van der Vliet little chance from near the penalty spot.

Jersey continued to pour forward with Bickley after a hat trick and inductees Kieran Lester and teenager Seaney McColgan looking to open their accounts. The front trio as well as Dos Santos all had shots blocked by some desperate Spelthorne defending. McColgan eventually netted the sixth after yet another blocked attempt;the ball ran to the left byline from where Bickley lofted the ball to McColgan at the far post to nod home from a couple of yards.

This defeat sent Spelthorne to the bottom of the fledgling table but there will be tougher tests ahead, starting on Tuesday against next to bottom Epsom & Ewell.

Spelthorne Sports - Spelthorne Sports – Bob Honey, Bobby Hyland, Joshua Blakebrough (14. Ramarni Edwards 57), Daniel Watts (12. Patrick Kavanagh 53), Eric Schulz, Mark McLeod, Jaan Stanley, Kyle Eakin (c), Sebastian Rowland (16. Liam O’Callaghan 55), Mark Soares (15. Joseph Blakeman 76), Kieran Dowding (17. Jordan Junor 55)

Light Blue/Navy/Navy; GK All Light Green

Myles Hook (Manager), Dan Green (Assistant), James Cameron (Medical)

Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet, Jonny Le Quesne (wore 18), Jay Giles (17. Kieran Lester 66), James Queree (c) (12. Ben Le Rougetel 57), Luke Campbell (vc), Luke Watson (wore 16), Fraser Barlow, Joe Kilshaw, Lorne Bickley, Toby Ritzema (15. Jay Dos Santos 46), Miguel Carvalho (14. Seaney McColgan 70), only four subs.

Red/White/Red; GK All Yellow

Elliot Powell (Manager), Adam Lester & Dan Garton (Assistants), Kaj Stefansen (GK Coach)

Formations (R to L)

Spelthorne Sports (4-4-2) 1; 2-4-5-3; 8-6-11-7; 10-9
Jersey Bulls (4-1-4-1) 1; 18-4-5-3; 16; 7-8-10-11; 9

Referee – Daryl Ann (Surbiton), Assistants – Josh Evans (Aldershot) on the dug outs side & Michael Oakes (Hillingdon) on the road side

Cautions – None

Corners – Spelthorne Sports (0) 2; Jersey Bulls (3) 7

Assists – Carvalho, Barlow, Carvalho, Watson, Giles, Bickley

Player of the Match – Joe Kilshaw

Added Time – 0.00 & 1.25 (1.25) (no drinks breaks)