Jersey hosted Tooting & Mitcham United in 9th place with a 13-7-13 56-46 record knowing that a win would take them to an overnight top place for the first time this season. This was as Redhill were without a game and A.F.C. Whyteleafe were engaged in the first leg of the F.A. Vase semi-final. This match had originally been scheduled for September 21st and Jersey had won 1-0 at Tooting on February 1st.

Jersey made two changes to their squad with skipper James Queree, returned from holiday, displacing Will Yates, and Pierce Roche taking over the understudy gloves from Harry Gladdish. Luke Campbell was still on holiday. Queree moved into the back four instead of James Carr who became a substitute. Kurtis Guthrie was named on the teamsheet but was taken ill before the start of the match. Jay Giles was elevated from the bench to replace him and Fraser Barlow moved to a more forward role. Kieran Lester was added to the bench at the eleventh hour.

Tooting & Mitcham United changed four of their starting line up. Habeeb Adepoju andTariq Mahmoud returned to the team as well as Darral Wopara and Ashley Sheppard being elevated from the bench. Bradley Kandu, Andy O’Brien, Shay Brennan and Shawn Lyle made way with only Kandu of those amongst the substitutes.

Jersey got off to the fast start they wanted with their third quickest goal of the season after only three minutes. Giles played the ball forward to Barlow on the left flank and he spotted Joe Kilshaw bursting forward inside him. In oceans of space Kilshaw ran on and placed the ball past Toby McKimm.

At the other end Euan Van der Vliet did well to dive at the feet of Conor Melody and in the following minute Tooting appealed optimistically for a penalty when the ball hit Queree’s arm from point blank range. Jersey failed to capitalise on their good start with their best opportunity in the remainder of the half coming just after the half hour when Barlow had a shot blocked and Lorne Bickley hit a piledriver from the rebound – but it was straight at McKimm.

After the break there were chances aplenty. Miguel Carvalho on the right crossed along the six yard line to Giles arriving at the far post but his shot hit McKimm’s legsand Jonny Le Quesne had a strong shot deflected for a corner by Antonio Simeone.

The second goal duly arrived when another Carvalho pass played in Bickley who lifted the ball over the advancing McKimm. Bickley almost returned the compliment ten minutes later only for Adepoju to deflect the ball away from Carvalho. In between times Carvalho had once again set up Bickley whose shot came back off the left post and Karl Hinds attempting to curl the rebound into the top right corner was only inches away.

Substitute Adam Trotter had a shot blocked before a Karl Hinds free kick was fingertipped onto the bar by McKimm with Toby Ritzema heading the rebound just over. For Tooting substitute Dante Walker hooked a rare half chance over too.

Trotter had another shot blocked by a combination of defenders but two minutes later Carvalho robbed Simeone, advanced to the byline and cut the ball back to Hinds who placed into the bottom left corner for Jersey’s third goal.

Carvalho attempted to get on the scoresheet himself, cutting in from the right before hitting the left post from the edge of the box but the coup de grace was applied in added time. Le Quesne won the ball on the halfway line before going on a storming run and laying the ball off to substitute Carr inside him in the box. Carr nutmegged McKimm for the fourth goal to send another large crowd home happy.

Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet, Jonny Le Quesne (wore 12), Fraser Barlow, James Queree (c), Toby Ritzema, Luke Watson, Karl Hinds (wore 20), Joe Kilshaw, Lorne Bickley, Jay Giles (wore 14), Miguel Carvalho
Substitutes – 10. Paul McKay (for Kilshaw 83), 15. Adam Trotter (for Bickley 65), 18. James Carr (for Barlow 78), 19. Keiran Lester (for Hinds 83), 21. Pierce Roche (sub GK) (not used)

Red/White/Red; GK All Yellow

Elliot Powell (Manager), Dan Garton and Adam Lester (Assistants), Andy Dewhurst (Coach), Dylan Buesnel (Analyst), Karl Benest (Kit), Steve Martin (Medical)

Tooting & Mitcham United - Toby McKimm, Gideon Acheampong, Izy Nzelo (wore 13), Antonio Simeone (c) (wore 19), Habeeb Adepoju, Darral Wopara, Max Oldham, Ashley Sheppard, Tariq Mahmoud, Hussein Siklawi, Conor Melody
Substitutes – 12. Bradley Kandu (for Siklawi 68), 14. Mohamed Cisse (for Oldham 84), 15. Dante Walker (for Mahmoud 56), 16. Matias Bojanov (for Orisatoki 60), only four substitutes

Black & White stripes with Black shoulders and Red numbers/Black/Black; GK All Light Green

Jamie Byatt (Manager), Alex Penfold (Assistant), Miguel Carvalho, Dale Byatt and Louis Goncalves (Coaches), Harry Vesey (Medical)

Formations (R to L)

Jersey Bulls (4-1-4-1) 1; 12-5-4-14; 6; 11-8-20-3; 9
Tooting & M.U. (4-4-2) 1; 3-5-19-13; 7-6-8-10; 9-11

Match Officials – Charles Walker (Ascot) 67. Qualified 2020, first season with theCombined Counties League and his first Bulls match. Jack Peet (Camden) On the dugouts side. Qualified 2008, Four seasons with Spartan South Midlands League, also his first season with the Combined Counties League and his first Bulls match.Paul Savva (Stanwell, near Ashford, Middlesex) On the grandstand side, of Cypriot lineage, qualified in 1999. Initially with the Middlesex County and Suburban Leagues before joining the Spartan South Midland League for three seasons, until re-allocated to the Combined Counties. Now in his fourth there, was previously here in April 2022 for the Redhill fixture and again in October 2023 for Knaphill.

Cautions – none for either side

Corners – Jersey Bulls (3) 4; Tooting & Mitcham United (3) 4

Assist(s) – Fraser Barlow, Miguel Carvalho (2nd & 3rd), Jonny Le Quesne

Player of the Match – Fraser Barlow

Added Time – 0.20 & 6.00 (6.20)