Jersey travelled to the North Kent coast to meet the “Oystermen” of Whitstable Town a week late after Storm Darragh had caused the cancellation of all Jersey flights the previous Saturday. Whitstable were lying 14th in the Southern Counties East table with a record of 6-3-7 27-28. They had already won through four rounds of the Vase defeating Corinthian-Casuals 4-1 away before single goal home wins against Hollands & Blair, Virginia Water and Lydd Town.

Jersey made two changes to their starting XI with Sammy Sutcliffe and Karl Hinds replacing Luke Campbell (on the bench) and the unavailable Jonny Le Quesne. Fraser Barlow and Kieran Lester were also missing so youngsters Seaney McColgan and Will Yates joined Campbell, along with “sponge man” Adam Lester.

Whitstable Town had made three recent signings from higher level clubs and two of them started as they made three changes to their team which last played a fortnight ago. New men Adam Ramadan and Ashdon Day were joined by returning captain Harvey Smith and they replaced Jayden Silcott-Brown, Liam Gillies and Dean Grant.

It was Whitstable’s third season playing on their FIFA 3G surface and they certainly did not look like a side in the bottom of their league table. They stifled most of what Jersey tried to create, by fair means or foul, particularly the latter. However, it was Jersey that took the lead. After Whitstable ‘keeper Daniel Colmer made a hash of clearing a ball near the right corner flag Harry Curtis took a short throw to Francis Lekimamati. From an acute angle his shot cum cross curled over Colmer and into the side netting behind him. Jersey maintained their lead to the break without looking likely to extend it as a couple of opponents were cautioned in the later stages.

The Whitstable card counted had reached five by the hour and one of the miscreants Adam Ramadan was replaced by Ronald Sithole whose long throws proved a problem for the defence with no Van der Vliet or Campbell there to deal with them before they caused problems in the defence

Eventually one was only half cleared, it was hooked back goalwards and contentiously deemed to have been handled by Sutcliffe. There were only a couple of half-hearted appeals by Whitstable players and significantly the host highlights programme omitted the incident entirely.

Josh Oliver took the penalty and although Pierce Roche got his left hand to the ballhe could not prevent the equaliser. Two minutes later a cross from the right was fed back from near the penalty spot to substitute Nico Grierson on the edge of the “D” and he placed his shot in to the top left corner. Frustration at the penalty decision now set in and the card count mounted as the referee lost patience too and Jersey finished the match with only eight players as two sin bins were also issued.

Whitstable Town – Daniel Colmer, Jerald Aboagye, Jayden Boulton, Mikey Dalton (wore 16), Jamie Coyle, Will Thomas, Josh Oliver, Adam Ramadan, Harvey Smith (c), Ashdon Ray (wore 20), Fin Cotton (wore 14)

Substitutes – 10. Ronald Sithole (for Ramadan 65), 11. Tagan Kray (not used), 13. Josh Robson (sub GK, not used), 21. Kai Jeffrey (not used), 22. Nico Grierson (for Ray 79)

All Red with Gold trim; GK All Gold

Jamie Coyle (Manager), Matt Longhurst (Assistant), Taylor Couldry (Coach), Dan Eason (GK Coach), Ada Hubbard and Carl McCourt (Kit), Craig Sherlock (Medical)

Jersey Bulls – Pierce Roche, Harry Curtis, James Carr, James Queree (c), Sammy Sutcliffe, Luke Watson (wore 16), Francis Lekimamati, Joe Kilshaw, Rai Dos Santos, Toby Ritzema, Karl Hinds (wore 20)
Substitutes – 11. Seaney McColgan (for Lekimamati 88), 12. Luke Campbell (for Joe Kilshaw 88), 17. Will Yates (for Dos Santos 63), 18. Adam Lester (not used), only four substitutes

White/Light Blue/White; GK All Green

Elliot Powell (Manager), Dan Garton (Assistant), Adam Lester (Medical)

Formations (R to L)

Whitstable Town (4-4-2) 1; 2-6-5-3; 7-14-8-16; 20-9
Jersey Bulls (4-1-4-1) 1; 2-5-4-3; 16; 9-10-8-7; 20

Match Officials – Richard Joss (Margate), Michael Corderoy (Gillingham) dug outs side, Grant Steele (Maidstone) grandstand clubhouse side

Cautions – Mikey Dalton (WT) (dissent) 36, Jamie Coyle (WT) (foul) 41, Adam Ramadan (WT) (dissent) 55, Will Thomas (WT) (foul) 59, Jerald Aboagye (WT) (foul) 61, Sammy Sutcliffe (JB) dismissed (serious foul play) 90+2, Luke Campbell (JB) sin bin (dissent) 90+2, Nico Grierson (WT) (foul) 90+5, Harry Curtis (JB) sin bin (dissent) 90+5, James Queree (JB) (dissent) 90+7 (after final whistle)

Corners – Whitstable Town (1) 3; Jersey Bulls (1) 1

Assist – Harry Curtis

Player of the Match – Harry Curtis

Added Time – 2.35 & 5.15 (7.50)