In brief: Jersey Bulls have climbed to the top of the Isthmian League South Central division after a 3-1 home win over AFC Portchester at Springfield. The victory puts them a point clear of Bognor Regis Town and extends their unbeaten run in Isthmian League action to 33 games.
Bulls Hit the Summit
Jersey Bulls dispatched AFC Portchester 3-1 at Springfield to go top of the Isthmian League South Central. The BBC reports that Bognor Regis Town, previously leading the table, could only manage a 2-2 draw away at Cobham, handing Elliot Powell’s side the chance to leapfrog them, and the Bulls took it with both hands.
The win means Jersey Bulls have now gone 33 games unbeaten in Isthmian League action, a run stretching all the way back to 30 December. To put that in context, the BBC notes they are unbeaten in 32 regular season matches, with the only blemish on their record being a penalty shoot-out defeat in last season’s playoffs, which came after a goalless draw. That is the sort of statistic that makes opposing managers lose sleep.
How the Game Unfolded
For the fifth consecutive game, the Bulls found the net inside the first 20 minutes. Sammy Henia-Kamua got on the end of Jack Lumsden’s clearance and slotted home from a tight angle to give the hosts an early advantage.
Portchester grew into the game and had a penalty claim waved away eight minutes before the break when Ryan Pennery went down under a James Queree challenge. It proved a costly moment for the visitors. Within a minute, top scorer Lorne Bickley lashed an effort into the top corner from just outside the box to make it 2-0, and the game looked to be heading comfortably in one direction.
Portchester, to their credit, refused to fold. Seconds before half-time, Jason Prior converted a penalty after Jonny Le Quesne had fouled Brandon Haunstrup, and suddenly the visitors had a foothold heading into the break.
Any hopes of a Portchester comeback were swiftly extinguished, however. Twelve minutes into the second half, Bickley added his second of the night with a calm right-footed finish from 15 yards to restore the two-goal cushion. Haunstrup had a late free-kick tipped over the bar by Bulls goalkeeper Euan van der Vliet, and Tommy Scott missed a good chance soon after, but the result was never seriously in doubt from that point.
The BBC reports that the win was the Bulls’ tenth in 14 league games this season, a record that underlines just how formidable Powell’s side have become at this level.
Source: BBC News
