Jersey Bulls kicked off the new season with a friendly at La Coeffardiere, the home of St. Clement where they had carried out their pre-season training whilst Springfield had a new 3G surface laid and new floodlights installed too.

St. Clement, runners-up in the local Premiership, had a squad that contained six players that had turned out for the Bulls at some stage in their short history, most notably goalkeeper Pierce Roche. Jersey put out their strongest available side with just three changes to the team that defeated Cobham in the play-off final.

Jay Giles and Rai Dos Santos returning from injury were joined by Francis Lekimamati and they displaced Fraser Barlow and Adam Trotter, who were on the bench, as well as Luke Watson who was present as a spectator. New signing Luke Shirley was amongst the substitutes as was defender Jack Lumsden. Missing from the squad that faced Cobham were Roche plus Paul McKay, Kieran Lester and Karl Hinds, the latter who had retired as a Bulls player.

On a warm evening Jersey, playing in an unfamiliar 4-3-3 formation, soon took control with Lorne Bickley opening the scoring after quarter of an hour. A long ball forward down the left flank from James Carr deflected off an opposition player into the path of Bickley. The striker surged forward, holding off Rhys Johansen as he did so, and struck the ball over the advancing Roche into the roof of the net with a composed finish.

Three minutes later Bickley scored again in very different circumstances. After a cross from Lekimamati on the right had sailed out for a goal kick Roche took a short goal kick out to his right to Hugo Vieira. Bickley probably with the advantageous knowledge of Roche’s methods, burst forward from the edge of the box and when Vieira played the ball back to Roche Bickley was within a yard of the ‘keeper to stick out a foot and block the attempted clearance back past him.

Lekimamati almost added a third in first half added time. Miguel Carvalho chased a ball to the left byline and fed it back to him a dozen yards out but there was insufficient curl on his shot which smacked against the far upright. Jersey saw out the match without pressing particularly hard as they sought to get “minutes into legs”. A triple substitution midway through the second half saw Shirley make his debut and Barlow was also introduced for the last fifteen minutes of the match.
St. Clement – Pierce Roche, Hugo Vieira, John “J.J.” Lloyd, Alfie Queree, Rhys Johansen, Joe Brophy (c), Seaney McColgan, Darren Coyle (vc), Mark Logue (wore 14), Fabio Pestana (wore 20), Bruno Da Silva

Rolling Substitutes – 9. Noah Trench (for Da Silva 46), 10. Paul Burton (for Brophy 46), 15. Connor O’Shea (for Johansen 46), 16. Dan Tostevin (for McColgan 76), 18. Ollie Rivers (for Pestana 39)

Returning – Brophy (for Vieira 76), Da Silva (for Coyle 76), Pestana (for Logue 76)

James Beaumont (Manager), Andy Sheppard (Assistant), Mark Freeman and Glen Le Moignan (Coaches)

Yellow/Blue/Yellow: GK All Orange

Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet, Jonny Le Quesne, James Carr, James Queree (c), Luke Campbell, Jay Giles (wore 14), Francis Lekimamati (wore 17), Joe Kilshaw, Lorne Bickley, Rai Dos Santos, Miguel Carvalho
Substitutes – 6. Luke Shirley (for Giles 64), 7. Fraser Barlow (for Carvalho 76), 12. Adam Trotter (for Kilshaw 64), 15. Jack Lumsden (for Le Quesne 64), only four subs.

White (with Azure and Pink diagonals)/Azure/White; GK All Green

Dan Garton (Manager), David Kennedy (Coach), Karl Benest (Kit)

Formations (R to L)
St. Clement (5-3-2) 1; 2-4-5-6-3; 7-20-14; 8-11
Jersey Bulls (4-3-3) 1; 2-4-5-3; 14-8-10; 11-9-17

Officials - Gareth Walker, Kenan Bryan (dug outs), Neil Giannoni (clubhouse)

Corners – St. Clement (0) 1; Jersey Bulls (3) 8

Assist(s) – James Carr, Francis Lekimamati

Player of the Match – Lorne Bickley

Added Time – 3.10 & 3.35 (6.45) (re drinks breaks 25 & 68)