In brief: Jersey Bulls host Harrow Borough at Springfield on Saturday afternoon, looking to bounce back from last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to Hartley Wintney. Manager Elliot Powell has set an ambitious target of at least six wins from the Bulls’ remaining eight games this calendar year, with 57 points by the turn of the year firmly in his sights.
Back at the Fortress
After their unbeaten streak came to a juddering halt last weekend, Jersey Bulls are back in action at Springfield on Saturday, kicking off at 3pm against Harrow Borough. The fixture has a familiar feel: it was the very same opponents the Bulls faced on the opening day of the 2026/27 campaign, with Lorne Bickley capitalising on a defensive mishap to secure a 1-0 win away from home.
Powell is under no illusions that a repeat will come easily. “It’s two completely different surfaces,” he told the Jersey Evening Post, noting that the first encounter was not exactly a showcase of flowing football. “We scored off the back of a mistake, but there wasn’t much football played because of the state of the pitch.” Springfield, by contrast, should offer conditions more conducive to the kind of game Powell wants his side to play.
Harrow Borough arrive sitting in 17th place, just outside the relegation zone, making this a fixture loaded with contrasting motivations. As Powell put it: “Both of us need the points for different reasons, so it should be a good game. It’ll be a good battle on and off the pitch.”
Know Your Enemy
Harrow Borough manager Wayne Carter is, by all accounts, not a man who minces his words. His post-match interviews on the club’s YouTube channel have earned him something of a cult following, and his assessment of the trip to Jersey was characteristically direct. “We’ve got to get a result out there. I’m not going out there for a blooming jolly-up,” Carter said, before adding that his side would be setting themselves up properly regardless of the outcome.
Carter also offered a candid appraisal of the Bulls: “They’re a lot better at home than when they travel. They’re flying.” High praise, perhaps, from a manager whose own side desperately needs points to climb away from danger.
Powell expects Borough to be direct and physical. “They are a team that get the ball wide and are quite direct with their running and getting at you,” he warned, suggesting the Bulls will need to be defensively solid if they are to take the three points.
Title Race Still Very Much Alive
Despite slipping into second place after Winchester City won in midweek, Powell is refusing to let the mood darken. He was encouraged by his side’s response in last week’s defeat to Hartley Wintney, noting: “We should have still taken something out of that game, so there were positives. There was a bit of a reaction from the Hayes and Yeading game. Hopefully we see that continue with another positive reaction.”
More striking still is Powell’s confidence about where his squad stands in the broader picture. “We’re still not at our best yet. To not be at our best and be in the title race is a really good sign,” he said. “If we can fine-tune a couple of things and improve in both boxes, predominantly our own box, then we should be able to not just stick in the title race, but really set the pace.”
The numbers Powell is targeting are precise: at least six wins, ideally seven, from the eight remaining fixtures before the year is out, with 57 points by the turn of the year the stated benchmark. “That’s the target we’re setting,” he confirmed. “It’s got to start with a win this weekend.”
On the team news front, the JEP reports that Euan Van Der Vliet returns in goal, while James Carr is likely to cover at left-back following Jay Giles’ second suspension of the season. Jarma Mohamed is away on international duty representing Somalia, which is expected to open the door for Jack Lumsden and Luke Watson in midfield.
Source: Jersey Evening Post
