Having dispatched the first year “scholars “of the Kinetic Academy (alias A.F.C. Whyteleafe) Jersey now met the second year “scholars” of the Kinetic Academy (alias Rising Ballers Kensington).

Rising Ballers have had numerous names and grounds in their short life. Established as A.F.C. Hillgate in 2012 they joined the Middlesex County League before joining the Spartan South Midlands league in 2015. In 2016 they became Kensington Borough and in 2018 were moved to Combined Counties Division 1 under the F.A.’s geographical re-structure. In 2019 they became Kensington and Ealing Borough and in 2022 adopted their present name.

They started out playing at the Linford Christie Stadium in White City before moving to the Avenue Road Stadium in Greenford when they joined the “pyramid” in 2015. After a season there they moved in with Amersham Town for two seasons. They then spent a season each at Leatherhead, Raynes Park Vale and Hanwell Town before settling at their current home, with this being their fourth season sharing at North Greenford United.

They first entered the F.A. Youth Cup in 2021 beating Hampton & Richard Borough before going out on penalties to Hemel Hempstead Town. They withdrew before playing Harefield United in 2022 and did not appear in the competition in 2023. Now back utlising the Kinetic Academy players they have beaten Hayes & Yeading United 2-0 at home before away wins at Slough Town 2-1 and then gaining revenge by 6-1 for their narrow defeat three years ago at Hemel Hempstead Town.

Jersey started strongly and in the third minute had a good chance snatched away from them by excellent defending. Close interplay between Callum Gilroy and Joey O’Toole left Will Yates to seemingly finish off the move only for Bryce Gough to recover well and slide in with a superb tackle to clear the danger. Yates also tried his luck from further out but his shot did not disturb the host’ keeper Kyle Defraine.

If the first ten minutes had seen Jersey doing well the next ten saw a role reversal culminating in a game changing situation which took the match away from them.

It began with Tiago Duarte’s legs rescuing the visitors as Solomon Tabase broke through and Duarte then comfortably saved a Chester Isaacs shot from twenty yards. Tabase then threaded a ball through to Isaacs which put him clear. Kyle Wilson rushed across to tackle but only managed to bring Isaacs down on the edge of the box and as he was the “last man” Wilson was dismissed. From the consequent free kick, left of centre, Ryan Kelly hit a piledriver into the top right corner to give his team the lead against the ten men. Perhaps the wall could have been positioned to cut off that possibility but it was a magnificent strike.

Jersey made a half-hearted penalty appeal when O’Toole went down in the box, the half-cleared ball was curled back in by Yates from twenty yards but Defraine held the attempt at the foot of the right post. Duarte thwarted Isaacs again after the half hour but could little when he scored the second two minutes later. Gough travelled from the edge of his own box into the middle of the Jersey half before a reverse pass put Isaacs clear in the left channel. Fergus Boyle put in a tackle but it only deflected the ball to the left corner leaving the already committed Duarte helpless.

Two more minutes and Jersey were fortunate that the senior assistant deemed Steven Scott offside from another raking Gough cross field pass. Scott’s speed fooled the official and his finish did not count. However, Rising Ballers did not have to wait long for their third. Duarte did well to parry a Tabase shot at the left post but the ball ran across to Isaacs to finish into the roof of the net. Isaacs almost claimed his hat trick before the interval but after Duarte was beaten by Tabase in the left corner of the box Isaacs shot was cleared off the line by Boyle.

Before the second half began Defraine was cautioned as he had failed to remove the black leggings worn under his pink shorts and white socks. He had been told to change or remove them at the interval, but had not done so. Jersey as usual introduced all their substitutes at the break.

Duarte was kept busy saving from both Mekhi Savage and Isaacs before Jersey pulled a goal back midway through the half against the run of play. Recently introduced substitute Abi Onasoga brought down O’Toole on the right edge of the box and from the free-kick there was “pinball” in the hosts area. Eventually Conor O’Keeffe on the left picked out Boyle a dozen yards out right of centre and his shot was deflected past Defraine to give Jersey an outside hope of a recovery.

The hosts had been profligate in spurning numerous chances to increase their lead but after ringing the changes their territorial superiority eventually told in the final ten minutes as they, and Isaacs, doubled their tallies for the afternoon. A Mohamed Hechachena corner on the left was not fully cleared and Kelly cutting in from the right put in a low cross for Isaacs to tap in at the left post. A minute later substitute George Brooke broke on the left and this time Isaacs tapped in at the right post. Having scored four Isaacs was replaced by Anayo Etmunu and it was he who wrapped up the scoring by finishing off another Brooke cross. Rising Ballers
now visit Sheringham on the North Norfolk coast in the First Round Proper.

Rising Ballers Kensington – Kyle Defraine, Brandon Barrance (c), Mohamed Hechachena, Rotimi Oderinde, Polesson Asekolenga, Bryce Gough (vc), Steven Scott, Ryan Kelly, Chester Isaacs, Mekhi Savage, Solomon Tabase
Substitutes – 12. Tobe Udeogba (not used), 15. George Brooke (for Scott 72), 16. Anton Bent (for Hechachena 83), 17. Anayo Etumnu (for Isaacs 83), 18. Chuba Nwoka (not used), 19. Abi Onasoga (for Barrance 61), 20. Luca Hughes (for Savage 78), five substitutes from seven permitted

White(with Black design)/White/White; GK Pink/Pink/Grey(Black tracksuit bottoms)

Management – Adam Flemming (Manager), Bryan Nzinga, Kyle Bernard and Matt White (Coaches), Dimitri Nicolaou (Medical)

Jersey Bulls – Tiago Duarte, Ewan Brodie, Sonny Cassidy, Fergus Boyle (c), Tomas Goncalves, Kyle Wilson, Will Yates, Stanley Dunne, Callum Gilroy, Joey O’Toole, Conor O’Keeffe.
Substitutes – 12 Evan Lees (for Dunne 46), 14. Max Stefanski (for Brodie 46), Paul Burton (for Yates 46), only three substitutes

Red/White/Red; GK Grey/Grey/Black

Paul Renton (Manager), John Lloyd (Medical)

Formations (R to L)
Rising Ballers Kensington (4-4-2) 1; 2-5-4-3; 7-8-6-11; 9-10
Jersey Bulls (4-1-4-1) 1; 2-5-6-3; 4; 11-8-10-7; 9

Match Officials – Simon Faires (Horsham), Dylan Wood (Croydon) dug outs side, Promise Phillips (Streatham) covered side

Cautions - Kyle Wilson (JB) dismissed 18 (last man foul), Kyle Defraine (RBK) 46(failing to change kit as instructed), Abi Onasoga (RBK) 64 (foul)

Corners – Rising Ballers Kensington (3) 6; Jersey Bulls (1) 3

Assist – Conor O’Keeffe

Player of the Match – Tiago Duarte

Added Time – 2.00 & 1.00 (3.00)