In brief: Jersey Bulls preserved their unbeaten league run with a 1-1 draw against Hayes & Yeading United at Springfield Stadium on Saturday. Luke Lister, making his home debut off the bench, rescued the point with a stunning half-volley in the 82nd minute. The Bulls remain top of the Isthmian South Central Division.
A Debut to Remember
It was not the most comfortable of evenings at Springfield, but Jersey Bulls fans will not care one jot. A depleted Bulls side, missing five regular members of their 16-man squad, were made to work hard by a lively Hayes & Yeading United outfit before Luke Lister, an Under-23s midfielder making his home debut, conjured a moment of genuine quality to keep the unbeaten run alive.
The match got under way after a 20-minute delay to kick-off and a two-minute silence in remembrance, and the opening exchanges were, by the Jersey Evening Post’s account, scrappy. Hayes & Yeading looked more threatening than most visiting sides at Springfield, with Remy-Lee Bennison particularly lively down the right flank. A first half littered with misplaced passes ended goalless, with Rhys Forster standing firm in the visitors’ goal to deny Lorne Bickley and the hosts.
Visitors Strike First, Lister Responds
Manager Elliot Powell made two changes shortly after the interval, bringing on Lister for Jarma Mohamed and Miguel Carvalho for Fraser Barlow. The adjustments did not immediately steady the ship, and it was Hayes & Yeading who drew first blood. Brendan Matthews latched onto a long ball and unleashed a superb volley into the bottom corner, leaving goalkeeper Euan Van der Vliet with little chance.
With 33 league matches unbeaten behind them and that record suddenly in very real danger, the Bulls needed something special. They got it. Defender Jack Lumsden, impressive throughout at the heart of the defence, picked out Lister with a clever chipped pass towards the edge of the box. The midfielder took a fluid touch, swivelled, and drove a sensational half-volley from 20 yards into the top-right corner. It was, by any measure, a goal worth the admission price alone.
Top of the Table, Rivals Slip Up
The point proved all the more valuable thanks to results elsewhere. Title rivals Bognor Regis Town also dropped points, drawing 3-3 at home to Hendon. The Jersey Evening Post reports that the Bulls’ unbeaten league run now stands at 34 matches, and Powell’s side remain top of the Isthmian South Central Division, retaining their one-point advantage over second place.
The draw was the Bulls’ fourth home fixture in the space of a fortnight, a punishing schedule that, combined with the squad absences, goes some way to explaining a performance that was below their usual standards. That they came through it with a point and their unbeaten record intact speaks to the character of the squad.
Source: Jersey Evening Post
