JERSEY Bulls boss Gary Freeman is ‘not getting too carried away’ after seeing his side rack up a fifth consecutive win that moved the club to the top of the table.
It was a comfortable afternoon for the Bulls, with keeper Euan Van der Vliet a spectator for much of the proceedings during the 4-0 win away at Spelthorne Sports.
The Bulls made a quick start, undeterred by their late arrival at the ground delaying the kick-off by half an hour.
A sensational half-volley from Francis Lekimamati in the eighth minute, after some neat interplay between Kamen Nafkha and Jack Boyle, opened the scoring, and from there on the Bulls looked capable of fashioning chances at will whenever they felt like turning the screw.
Man-of-the-match Adam Trotter laid it on a plate for Fraser Barlow for the second to give the Bulls a two-goal cushion going into the break, and while they had to wait until the 82 minute for a third, the Islanders never looked in danger.
Substitute Luke Watson netted the third following good work from Lekimamati, before Barlow got his second in added time as the Bulls secured their biggest win of the season so far.
The Bulls were missing some key figures on Saturday, with last season’s top scorer, Lorne Bickley, captain James Quérée and Luke Campbell among those unavailable, but Freeman will be pleased with the way his squad has reacted after a difficult first few matches.
Freeman said: ‘Since the Balham game there has been a reaction. We were patient and looked pretty secure at the back and controlled the game.
‘We are in a pretty good place now. The lads who have come in have done really well and there are going to be some tough decisions as we go forward.
It is a very long season and there a long way to go. We have played a lot of teams in the bottom half of the table and there will be some strong challenges ahead. We are certainly not getting too carried away.’
The Bulls’ upturn in form has been boosted by the return of Jack Boyle, who has been largely unavailable since the club was formed in 2019 due to needing two ACL reconstructions. Boyle provided plenty of creative spark in the number ten role against Spelthorne, with much of the Bulls’ attacks going through him.
Freeman said: ‘It is great to have Jack around. You can see the quality he has got – he is probably still a little short of where he would want to be fitness-wise but hopefully he can keep building that. He provides us with a goal threat from midfield and the experience players like him and Luke Watson bring is important for us’
The Bulls are top of the table, level on points with second-place Guildford, who have a game in hand. Unbeaten Farnham are three points further back, with three games in hand.
The Bulls’ next match is away at Sandhurst Town on Saturday. =
