Jersey hosted Stevenage for a third time in their short history due to their chairman, Phil Wallace, C.E.O. of the Lamex Food Group, having a home on the Island. It wasa tough ask to bridge six divisions against a club that could put out a different team for each half and with Jersey missing as many players as they had available.

Stevenage, who had been training at the St. Peter ground, fielded a couple of fringe players in each half but carried a commanding physical presence. It was a test of Jersey’s fitness against a side that dominated possession and prevented Jersey getting a single shot on target throughout the game.

Stevenage dictated the match and patiently looked to break down the defence whichhad a few positional changes. Harry Curtis played at “right back” instead of centrally,

which pushed Will Byers to an unaccustomed left. James Queree who has filled in on the left in the past played centrally with the returning Luke Campbell. Jonny Le Quesne and Lorne Bickley also made their seasonal debuts but the latter saw very little of the ball up front. Joe Kilshaw was asked the fill the midfield “big boots” of Adam Trotter who is away for the first half of the season touring South America.

Stevenage scored three but could have had more, although all three goals had a touch of fortune about them. The first, just after the half hour, saw a stretching Campbell deflect a Dan Kemp low cross from the right on to the base of the left post where it rebounded back across the goal to Harvey White to tap in from two yards.

In first half added time Kilshaw brought down Ryan Docherty as he weaved in to the right corner of the box and Kemp tucked the subsequent penalty away in the bottom left corner as Euan Van der Vliet went to his left.

Lenny Brown squandered a couple of good Stevenage chances before Elliott List hit a powerful cross shot from the right that second half ‘keeper, Pierce Roche, knew he should have done better with as he tried to fist it away. Immediately afterwards Curtis clinically brought down Brown a couple of yards outside the box as he was played clear in the left hand channel. If it had been a competitive match he would surely have seen a card, possibly the one of a darker hue. As it was the free kick came to nothing and the match petered out at 0-3 just before the heavens opened.

Jersey Bulls - Euan Van der Vliet (21. Pierce Roche 46), Harry Curtis (wore 18), Will Byers (14. Fergus Boyle 46), James Queree (c), Luke Campbell, Luke Watson (wore 16), Jonny Le Quesne, Joe Kilshaw, Lorne Bickley, James Sunley (15. Will Yates 81), Miguel Carvalho (17. Callum Gilroy 81). not used – 19. Jan Bentley (Coach)

Red/White/Red; GKs All Yellow

Elliot Powell (Manager), Andy Dewhurst & Dan Garton (Assistants), Dylan Buesnel(Analyst), Karl Benest (Kit)

Stevenage (First Half) - Jason Leutwiler, Luther-James Wildin, Nathan Thompson, Carl Piergianni (c), Dan Kemp, Jordan Roberts, Lewis Freestone, Dan Phillips, Harvey White, Makise Evans, Ryan Docherty (no substitutions)

(shirt numbers 12, 2, 4, 5, 10, 11, 16, 22, 23, 35, 37)

Stevenage (Second Half) - Rylee Mitchell, Dan Sweeney (c), Nick Freeman, Louis Appere, Kane Smith, Terry Van Cooten, Elliott List, Owen Cochrane, Ben Thompson, David Hicks, Lenny Brown (no substitutions)

(shirt numbers 41, 6, 7, 9, 14, 15, 17, 20, 24, 36, 38)

Purple/Purple/Black; GKs All Luminous Yellow

Alex Revell (Manager), Neil Banfield (Assistant), Scott Cuthbert (Coach), Lewis Budd (Analyst), Matt Rogers (Physio.)

Formations
Jersey Bulls (4-2-3-1 R to L) 1; 18-4-5-3; 6-8; 7-10-11; 9
Stevenage (4-1-4-1 R to L) (first half) 12: 2-4-5-16; 22; 11-37-23-10; 35
Stevenage (4-1-4-1 R to L) (second half) 41; 20-15-6-7; 36; 24-17-38-14; 9

Referee – Shaun E. Farrer (Reigate) 36. Qualified in 2007, Combined Counties League 2016, Isthmian League 2018, Football League Specialist Assistant 2023.

Assistants – Paulo Franco (dug outs side), Gareth Walker (grandstand side), Neil Giannoni (fourth official) (all Jersey)

Cautions – None

Corners – Jersey Bulls (0) 2; Stevenage (0) 5

Player of the Match – No award

Added Time – 3.45 & 3.20 (7.05) (no drinks breaks)