JERSEY Bulls return to league action tomorrow afternoon, hosting Harrow Borough
at 3pm.
Following last weekend’s crushing 3-2 defeat to Hartley Wintney, the Bulls welcome the side they opened their 2026/27 campaign against.
Elliot Powell’s side recorded a 1-0 win in their season opener at Harrow Borough, thanks to Lorne Bickley capitalising on a defensive mishap.
Powell expects a different challenge at Springfield, stating: “It’s two completely different surfaces.
“We scored off the back of a mistake, but there wasn’t much football played because of the state of the pitch.”
The manager is expecting a direct approach from the visitors: “They are a team that get the ball wide and are quite direct with their running and getting at you.”
Borough sit just outside the relegation zone in 17th.
“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,” continued Powell.
Wayne Carter, the manager of Harrow Borough, is quite the character, with his brash post-match interviews on the club’s YouTube channel making for entertaining viewing.
Carter is well aware of the test that lies ahead for his side.
“We’ve got to get a result out there. I’m not going out there for a blooming jolly-up. At the end of the day, you can have the jolly-up after the game, win, lose or draw. That’s just how I am.
“I’m not going to go over there and mope about if we lose, but what we’re going to do is make sure that we set ourselves up properly.
“They’re a lot better at home than when they travel. They’re flying,” continued Carter.
Despite the Bulls’ emphatic unbeaten streak coming to an end last week, Powell was pleased with his side’s reaction and believes they should have taken something from the game.
“We should have still taken something out of that game, so there were positives.
“There was a bit of a reaction from the Hayes & Yeading game. Hopefully we see that continue with another positive reaction.”
The gaffer insists there is still more to come from the Jersey side, saying: “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.
“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 Bulls are aiming to stamp their authority at the top of the table. Despite slipping into second place after Winchester City prevailed in midweek, Powell remains confident heading into the final stretch of the calendar year.
“We’ve got eight games left this year. I want at least six wins, ideally seven. That’s the target we’re setting.
“57 points at the turn of the year is around about where we want to be, and it’s got to start with a win this weekend.”
Jersey Bulls squad: Casey Nixon, Euan Van Der Vliet, Harry Curtis, Harry Gladdish, Jack Lumsden, James Carr, James Querée (c), James Sunley, Joe Kilshaw, Jonny Le Quesne, Lorne Bickley, Luke Lister, Luke Watson, Miguel Carvalho, Sammy Henia-Kamau, Toby Ritzema
Other Fixtures
- AFC Stoneham v Windsor & Eton
- Befont Sports v Hedon
- Binfield v Ascot United
- Bognor Regis Town v Littlehampton Town
- Cobham v Ashford Town (Middx)
- Egham Town v Winchester City
- Hartley Wintney v Kingstonian
- Raynes Park Vale v Hayes & Yeading United
- Southall v Moneyfields
- Westfield v AFC Portchester
Archie’s Predicted XI
There are a few players missing this weekend, but the majority of the side is available.
Euan Van Der Vliet will return in goal, James Carr is likely to play left-back due to Jay Giles’ second suspension of the season.
I think Jamie Watling will come back into the team alongside James Querée with Jonny Le Quesne at right back.
With Jarma Mohamed busy representing Somalia, I think Jack Lumsden and Luke Watson will play behind James Sunley.
I expect Sammy Henia-Kamau and Toby Ritzema to operate either side of Lorne Bickley.
