---
title: "Jersey Bulls go 31 unbeaten after stormy trip to Hendon"
url: https://www.nsfw.info/jersey-bulls-31-unbeaten-hendon-win/
published: 2026-10-24T15:00:45+00:00
modified: 2026-10-24T15:00:45+00:00
author: "Chief Editor"
categories: ["Sport"]
image: https://www.nsfw.info/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/jersey-bulls-31-unbeaten-hendon-win-1024x572.webp
summary: "Jersey Bulls beat Hendon 4-2 to extend their Isthmian League unbeaten run to 31 matches, a sequence now stretching back 10 months despite a storm-delayed kick-o"
publisher: NSFW (https://www.nsfw.info)
---

# Jersey Bulls go 31 unbeaten after stormy trip to Hendon

**In brief:** Jersey Bulls extended their unbeaten Isthmian League run to 31 consecutive regular season matches with a 4-2 away win at Hendon, a sequence now stretching back 10 months. Toby Ritzema was central to a blistering start before being forced off injured, and Lorne Bickley struck twice to seal the points.

## Bulls Weather the Storm, Literally

It was not the smoothest of travel days for Jersey Bulls. Stormy weather disrupted the island side’s journey to north London, pushing the kick-off back by half an hour. If Hendon were hoping that might unsettle their visitors, they were very much mistaken. The BBC reports that Bulls were 2-0 up inside the first six minutes, which is the kind of response that tends to silence any home crowd fairly swiftly.

Winger Toby Ritzema was the architect of both early goals. First, he burst down the left and delivered a low cross that Casey Nixon met with a precise left-footed finish after just over three and a half minutes. Two minutes later, Ritzema produced a moment of real quality, lifting the ball with the outside of his right foot to release top-scorer Lorne Bickley, who took a couple of touches before firing low across the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner.

The bad news arrived in the 18th minute when Ritzema was forced off with what the BBC describes as what looked like a hamstring injury. It was an early end to an outstanding individual performance, and Bulls will be hoping the damage is not serious given the form he was in.

## Hendon Fight Back, Bulls Hold Firm

Hendon gave themselves a foothold when a weak back-header from Jamie Watling was seized upon by Florian Ada, who set up John Shamalo to fire home in the 14th minute. The hosts pressed for an equaliser before the break, and Shamalo forced a save from goalkeeper Euan van der Vliet early in the second half.

Bulls came close to extending their lead around the hour mark when James Sunley had a shot cleared off the line. A minute later, however, Bickley made no mistake, holding off a defender after receiving a pass from Sunley and blasting in his second of the afternoon to make it 3-1.

Hendon refused to lie down. Ezekiel Williams pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area within three minutes to make it 3-2, and suddenly the visitors had a game on their hands. Nixon, Sammy Henia-Kamau and Sunley all went close to settling nerves, while Ada had an effort saved for the hosts in the 82nd minute.

The decisive moment came with four minutes remaining. A high ball caught up in the wind caused confusion in the Hendon defence, and Henia-Kamau sneaked in to finish well and make it 4-2. Three points secured, unbeaten run intact.

## A Record That Keeps Growing

The BBC reports that the win consolidated Bulls’ place in the top two of the Isthmian League South Central division. The unbeaten run in regular season matches now stands at 31, stretching all the way back to the end of December. That is 10 months of Isthmian League football without a defeat, a remarkable achievement for a club representing an island of roughly 100,000 people competing on the mainland English football pyramid.

For Jersey supporters, this is the kind of sustained excellence that makes the early morning ferry or the short flight to watch an away game feel entirely worthwhile. Bulls are not just making up the numbers in this league. They are setting the pace.

## The NSFW Perspective

There is something quietly magnificent about a football club from a small island off the coast of Normandy making the Isthmian League look like their personal training ground. While the rest of us were worrying about stormy weather and delayed travel, Jersey Bulls were apparently using the extra half hour to sharpen their finishing. Ten months unbeaten. Thirty-one matches. If the Government of Jersey ever needs a case study in how to run something efficiently and without wasting resources, they might consider a field trip to watch the Bulls. Just a thought.

*Source: [BBC News](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cmqxnq2r5y7jo)*