Another cup, another first round qualifying match. The Bulls were one of 618 Step 5 & 6 (Levels 9 & 10) clubs setting out on the Vase “Road to Wembley”. By the conclusion of the round there would be 203 less teams involved.

Jersey visited Tooting Bec, whom they narrowly beat, by the only goal of the game, just before Christmas 2019. That was a Combined Counties Division 1 match. Since then the Bulls have been elevated to the Premier Division. Tooting Bec narrowly missed out on a similar rise and their geography also saw them relocated to the South East Counties League. Their opposition now is primarily from Kent and Eastern Surrey and they currently hold a mid-table position having won 4 and lost 3 of their opening league games.

Tooting Bec play at Imperial Fields in Mitcham, the ground of Tooting & Mitcham United who re-located there from their Sandy Lane ground in 2002. Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Brentford have all used it for training and in 2011 it hosted the inaugural Women’s Super League fixture between Chelsea and Arsenal.

The Bulls made a solitary change to the team that defeated V.C.D. Athletic last week. Jonny Willows making his debut in place of Euan Van der Vliet, who had dislocated his shoulder in that match. On the bench were Luca Margaroli, Joe Kilshaw and Kieran Lester whilst Lorne Bickley, Jonny Le Quesne and Jake Prince were unavailable as they were all holidaying.

On a pleasant sunny afternoon the Bulls kicked off attacking the London Road End. Little of note happened early in the match as each side tried to impose itself on the other. This led to some feisty exchanges as Tooting were urged on by their manager, Matt Hancock (note not a new role for the former Government Health Secretary!).

Tooting had early half chances with Eddie Mbango firing wide and James Curran forcing a save from Willows after meeting a corner with a volley. The tenor of the match changed midway through the first half when Sol Solomon took a free kick beyond the left corner of the box. Seeing Jorge Hernandez protecting his near post he swung it in to the far corner off the underside of the bar. Impudence and skill combining to give Bulls the breakthrough.

Daryl Wilson picked up a groin injury after half an hour and was replaced by Lester who added the second goal in first half added time. Another free kick, this time taken on the right by Jay Giles, was swung in to the near post and eventually fell to Lester to stab home from a couple of yards out. This remedied the spurning of an earlier clearer chance when Solomon had broken free and set up Fraser Barlow whose shot was on target but was blocked by a defender.

On the hour, Kamen Nafkha was another to receive a knock and was replaced by Kilshaw whilst Margaroli came on for Ruben Mendes-Pestana for the last 20 minutes.

The Bulls, with the comfort of a two-goal cushion, looked to add a conclusive third in the second half. Central defenders Jack Griffin and Luke Campbell both came close.

Griffin was thwarted by a post (50) and Campbell by an assistant’s flag (73) before another defender, Jay Giles, did succeed. Playing a one-two with Sol Solomon in midfield he was put clear in the left channel, and from 15 yards made no mistake.

Tooting Bec 0; Jersey Bulls 3 (Sol Solomon 24, Kieran Lester 45+1, Jay Giles 89)

Attendance 163

Programme £3, 24 pages, full colour

Tooting Bec – Jorge Hernandez, Elijah Lewis, Charlie Kennett, Luke Hammond, James Curran, Chris Thurbon, James Parsons, Jack Martin, Alistair Wiltshire, Eddie Mbango, Myles Blenkinsop (c)

Substitutes – Carlo Fernando (not used), Will Gale (for Martin 75), Alex Keating (for Thurbon 81), Conor Turner (for Parsons 65), Joe Price (not used), Darren Nolan (not used), no 7^th substitute

Matt Hancock (Manager), Reece Turner (Assistant), Gavin Bolger (Coach), Roger Mann (Physio.)

Black & White Stripes/Black/Black & White; GK Orange front, Black back, Black, Black & White

Jersey Bulls – Jonny Willows, James Queree (c), Jay Giles, Jack Griffin, Luke Campbell, Kamen Nafkha, Fraser Barlow, Adam Trotter, Daryl Wilson, Ruben Mendes-Pestana, Sol Solomon

Substitutes – Luca Margaroli (for Mendes-Pestana 70), Joe Kilshaw (for Nafkha 62), Kieran Lester (for Wilson 33), only three substitutes

Gary Freeman (Manager), Kevan Nelson (Assistant), Dan Seviour (Coach), Jason Carpenter (GK Coach/Physio.)

Red/White/White; GK – All Yellow

Referee – Nigel Owen (East Molesey)

Assistants – Daniel Vernon (Sutton) and Gulam Damji (Wallington)

Cautions – none for either side

Corners – Tooting Bec (1) 1, Jersey Bulls (0) 5

Player of the Match Award (listeners votes) – Sol Solomon 26, Adam Trotter 24, Ruben Mendes-Pestana 5, Luke Campbell 1