Knaphill won at Springfield in mid-November as part of an unbeaten twelve match run before Christmas. However, they then suffered a series of postponements either side of the holidays when they went over six weeks without playing. On resuming Knaphill had lost their momentum but still lie sixth with a 15-4-8 44-28 record. They do not score many goals but neither do they concede many.

Jersey made two changes to Tuesday’s starting team that drew at Horley with Joe Kilshaw and Sammy Henia-Kamau replacing Francis Lekimamati and Miguel Carvalho. The latter two were both on the bench along with Sammy Sutcliffe and Fraser Barlow.

The Knaphill team was substantially the same as that which had met Jersey nearly four months ago but was missing top scorer George Pilbeam who scored the winner that day and the equaliser when the two teams last met at Knaphill a year ago.

The cold morning gave way to a pleasant afternoon with the temperature climbing to 13C as Jersey kicked-off attacking the clubhouse end. However, another cold front brought rain with fifteen minutes of the match to go and the breeze blowing towards the clubhouse end then saw the thermometer drop to 6C.

Lorne Bickley went on a surging run down the right channel in the opening minute. He was halted by a foul on the edge of the box. Bickley and Henia-Kamau both put in further shots but nothing to seriously extend the home ‘keeper, Jos Barker.

Play became largely a midfield battle with various tetchy niggles resulting in the referee calling the captains together ten minutes before half time.

The nearest either side came to scoring before the interval came in added time when Adam Trotter cut inside from the left and hit a rising shot from twenty yards that forced Barker into a sharp save at the expense of a corner.

Midway through the second half Jay Giles put in a low cross from the left that was just cleared by a defender at the far post before Frank Tobin could convert.

The only real chance of the day was spurned in the 73^rd minute by the hosts. A low cross from the right was fed on along the edge of the box until Sebastian Karczewski
in the centre found Zac Horkan unmarked on his left. Horkan hit a curling rocket towards the left post but he sliced it just wide of the target. It hit the side netting with the home supporters of the top side cheering what they thought was a goal as they saw the visitors netting ruffled by the powerful shot.

Jersey continued to dominate possession but they lacked the cutting edge to threaten the home goal and the match ended goalless with Jersey’s unbeaten away record intact but with vital points dropped.

Knaphill 0,
Jersey Bulls 0

Attendance – 136

Programme – none (delays at their printers were blamed but they did have a glossy 40pp club promotional brochure available, gratis)

Knaphill (squad numbers) – 1. Jos Barker, 2. Ali Mansaray, 5. James Ward (c) 12. Aaron Burchett, 21. Adam Poynter, 6. Owen Tanner, 11. Kye Nash, 23. Zaccharius Horkan, 7. Zac Hawker, 14. Will May, 18. Sebastian Karczewski
Substitutes – 4. Joe Byett (not used), 8. Zeid Hannachi (for Hawker 89), 10. Rowan Sharratt (for Nash 90+2), 17. Jack Williamson (for May 77), 25. Daniel Bone (not used)

Colours – Red/White(Red)/Red; GK All Light Blue

Jamie Daltrey (Joint Manager), John Cook (Joint Manager), Lee Trussler (Assistant), Andy Sharratt (Coach), Steve Cavey (Coach), Alyss Watts (Physio.)

Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet, Frank Tobin (wore 12), Jay Giles, James Queree (c), Luke Campbell, Joe Kilshaw, Jonny Le Quesne, Adam Trotter, Lorne Bickley (wore 16), Luke Watson, Sammy Henia-Kamau (wore #9 after 28 minutes due to a blood injury)
Substitutes – 14. Francis Lekimamati (for Henia-Kamau 64), 15. Sammy Sutcliffe (not used), 17. Miguel Carvalho (for Kilshaw 46), 18. Fraser Barlow (for Le Quesne 89), only four substitutes

White/Black/Black; GK All Yellow

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

Formations
Knaphill (4-4-2 R to L) 1; 2-5-12-21; 6-11-23-7; 14-18
Jersey Bulls (4-1-4-1 R to L) 1; 12-4-5-3; 6; 7-10-8-11; 16

Referee – Josh Osofa (Walton on Thames)

Assistant – Nick Arbuckle (Frimley, ex Woking) on the dug outs side.

Assistant – Keith Gardner (Woking) on the grandstand side.

Cautions – Kye Nash (K) 55, Miguel Carvalho (JB) 79, Jay Giles (JB) 84

Corners – Knaphill (1) 2, Jersey Bulls (1) 4

Player of the Match Award – Frank Tobin (as he was in the reverse fixture too)