In brief: Jersey Bulls won 2-0 away at Kingstonian in the Isthmian League South Central Division despite being without several experienced players. Goals from Casey Nixon and Sammy Henia-Kamau secured the result, extending the Bulls’ unbeaten league run to 27 games. The victory keeps them second in the table, eight points behind leaders Bognor Regis Town, with two games in hand.
A Makeshift Side, A Polished Performance
It is one thing to win when you have your best players available. It is quite another to travel to a former National League club, field a reshuffled lineup, and come away with a clean sheet. Jersey Bulls managed exactly that on Saturday, and coach Dave Kennedy was understandably pleased.
As the BBC reports, a number of experienced players were unavailable for the trip to Kingstonian, including Bulls captain James Queree, who had the rather reasonable excuse of getting married. Kennedy was forced into some creative solutions, moving Jarma Mohamed to right-back and asking Toby Ritzema, described by the coach as “a real threat for us up top,” to do a job at centre-half alongside Jamie Watling.
“It was always going to be a big ask, that was a lot of experience that wasn’t on the pitch today,” Kennedy told BBC Radio Jersey. He was, however, full of praise for how his players adapted. “I thought Jarma was excellent,” he said, and reserved similar words for Ritzema’s defensive display.
Goals, Clean Sheets and an Unbeaten Record That Keeps Growing
Casey Nixon broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time, giving the islanders the advantage they needed heading into the break. Sammy Henia-Kamau then put the result beyond doubt with 21 minutes remaining, scoring his third league goal of the season. Kennedy highlighted the partnership between Henia-Kamau and James Carr on the left flank, noting it “caused them a lot of problems throughout the game.” It was also Carr’s first start of the season, making his contribution all the more impressive.
Goalkeeper Euan van der Vliet earned particular praise from Kennedy, who credited him not only with “a couple of great saves” but also with how he organised the back four in front of him. The clean sheet was the Bulls’ fifth of the season in all competitions and their second in a row.
The win extended Jersey Bulls’ unbeaten league run to 27 games, a sequence stretching back to 30 December 2025. It was also their sixth win in nine unbeaten league matches this season. Kennedy was in no mood to single out individuals: “It was going to need 11 leaders to get us through this and it’s difficult to even pick a man of the match because I thought we were excellent.”
Where the Bulls Stand
The result keeps Jersey Bulls in second place in the Isthmian League South Central Division, eight points behind leaders Bognor Regis Town. Crucially, the Bulls have two games in hand, meaning the gap is far from settled. Kingstonian, for their part, are described by Kennedy as “the third-top goalscorers in the league,” which makes the clean sheet all the more satisfying for the travelling side.
Source: BBC News
