Sheppey United 2
Falade 51’, Anau 90+2
Jersey Bulls 1
Querée 59’ (pen)
HT Score: 0-0
Attendance: 356
Player of the Match: Luke Watson
A LATE winner through an opportunistic effort in injury time by Sheppey United condemned Jersey Bulls to a defeat on Saturday, ending their unbeaten league run so far this season.
A picture paints a thousand words and that was certainly the case as Bulls
manager Elliot Powell kept his players and staff in a long huddle after the final whistle to share some home truths about their performance in the battle of the islands.
Captain James Querée’s converted penalty on the cusp of the hour mark had looked like saving Bulls blushes after Sheppey’s Dieko Falade scored in the 50th minute, but the added-time goal by stand-in French forward Julien Anau meant there was nowhere to hide for the St Helier side.
Powell believes it shows there’s been some “over confidence” in the dressing room, and told the JEP: “It’s important that we outline where we’ve gone wrong, and that’s what I was saying afterwards. We haven’t applied ourselves at a level anywhere near good enough.
“It’s not a performance to be proud of and apologies to our away fans who have travelled over and spent hard money watching that because it wasn’t anything like we’ve been for the past 18 months.
“It’s a credit that these off days are few and far between, but they are still unacceptable when they do happen.
“The timing of the late goal is always a gut wrencher, but in reality confidence has been too high with most of the lads – myself included – we all thought as our fixtures get tougher that this would be one to win for us.
“But you don’t just get given games at this level, and it’s a hard lesson for us after giving away two horrific goals, one through shape and the second an individual error.”
With Bulls going into the game at Holm Park off the back of a four-game unbeaten run in all competitions since their back-to-back cup defeats last month, confidence was high against a side three places below them at 16th in the table.
As brief cracks of sun broke through the thin grey cloud overhead on the Isle of Sheppey, it was end to end in the opening minutes with Sheppey’s ex-Army 35-year-old forward Daniel Bradshaw having an effort thwarted at the Thames Estuary end of the ground, while Bulls’ Lorne Bickley saw his first shot nearly hit some of the Top Bins Bar patrons at the other end.
With the hosts having a somewhat cobbled together team, with six players out, whereas the Bulls only had Jay Giles and Jonny Le Quesne missing, you could feel the away side’s confidence coming through early on.
Bulls should have taken the lead in the 22nd minute as Lorne Bickley was again thwarted by a good save from Sheppey’s Adam Molloy, before left winger Toby Ritzema blasted over with the goal gaping.
Despite Bulls having a more balanced line-up in what appeared to be a 4-4-1-1, with Adam Trotter sitting behind Bickley, compared to Sheppey’s 3-5-2 often looking more like a 5-3-2, there was a lack of running breaks by Powell’s side down either flank by wingers Ritzema and Miguel Carvalho.
Instead, the ball was held up in the overcrowded middle of the park, which felt like it strangled any real flow.
Bulls finally got a prolonged period around Sheppey’s box, with two free-kicks and a corner just after the half-hour mark which saw another Bickley shot blocked before the third set-piece ended with a shout for hand ball against Ritzema.
Bulls were marginally the better of the sides as Sheppey held off for half-time, and it was the gold shirted visitors who started stronger after the interval despite the home-side restarting the match.
Bickley had another chance thwarted and after a free-kick from just outside the box was covered, Querée got on the end of the rebound only for the shot to parry away off a Sheppey defender.
The home side started looking stronger, and Bradshaw had a rare chance at the Queenborough Road end, which was coolly dealt with by Bulls custodian Euan van der Vliet.
Against the run of play, Sheppey took the lead. The hosts had foiled a running break by Trotter and a high ball was brought to ground by deep lying forward Falade, who quickly passed to ex-Colchester United man Medy Elito and the midfielder’s through ball to left wing-back Archie Johnson led to the former Welling winger getting down his flank and whipping the ball into the box for the on-running Falade to finish what he started by scoring at the near post.
Jersey were quick to get down the other end, and Powell brought on Rai Dos Santos for Joe Kilshaw to be more attacking. It seemed to work as Bulls hovered around the box before Ritzema went down, albeit quit softly, to earn the visitors a penalty.
Querée stepped up, and with Molloy diving the wrong way, the captain slotted the ball into the right corner in front of Bulls travelling fans and their saltire flags.
The game started getting feisty, with Ites centre-half Tyler Hatton and Querée each being booked for late challenges. Both sides continued to have efforts to try and take all three points.
Anau had a 30-yard strike parried away by Van der Vliet in the 76th minute, while Harry Mackenzie’s late cameo injected some much-needed pace into the Bulls after centre-half Jamie Watling limped off with what appeared to be really bad cramp.
Substitute James Sunley produced a classy half-volley which hit the side netting, and several corners and A Dos Santos free-kick from the right edge of the box failed to find the target.
With Sheppey’s ex-Welling wide man Johnson and Dos Santos again having chances at either end, it appeared that Bulls thought they would get another away point.
As the game went into the second minute of stoppage time, it looked like Bulls defenders were just about dealing with Sheppey’s late pressing tactics until a back pass by Luke Watson went a little wayward.
Anau collected the ball and showed real composure as he skirted around Querée and outfoxed Van der Vliet to leave the keeper on his bum before slotting the ball coolly into the left corner of the net, causing pandemonium around the small ground while Bulls supporters were left dejected.
Bulls still had a late corner at the other end, but Sheppey secured the win.
Jersey’s holding midfielder Watson, who had a stand out game until his unfortunate role in Sheppey’s winning goal, put his hand up and said: “Although they scored late, it’s a bitter pill to swallow.
“I didn’t think we deserved much from the game, it was definitely a below-par performance from the standards we set ourselves and where we want to be at. To lose our unbeaten run, in that manner, is a hard one to take. But did we deserve anything, probably not.”
Watson was also apologetic to Bulls travelling faithful, adding: “We weren’t as intense as we pride ourselves on.
“We weren’t as much of a threat on the counter-attack as we normally are, we felt a bit flat and maybe that’s because we hadn’t played for 10 days. Perhaps were a better team when we’re going game to game in quick succession.
“We were never going to go the whole season undefeated, but to lose it in this way is quite tough, as I did think we were in the game although we lack something in the final third.
“But I did make a mistake at the back and we’re been punished for it.
“It’s our first defeat at this level, and it’s not too unrealistic to lose this game but the performance wasn’t good enough and we just want to apologise to our supporters who have made the effort to come here and watch that game.”
Sheppey United: Adam Molloy, Dami Olorunnisimo, Archie Johnson, Tamas Angbaduba, Lex Allan, Tyler Hatton, Dieko Falade, Hassan Ibrahiym, Daniel Bradshaw (c) (off 79’), Julien Anau, Medy Elito
Subs: Malakai Hyman, Tommy Linkson, Jack O’Neill, Essa Jadama, David Opoku (on 79’)
Jersey Bulls: Euan Van Der Vliet, Jamie Watling (off 83’), James Carr, James Querée (c), Luke Campbell, Toby Ritzema (off 60’), Adam Trotter, Joe Kilshaw (off 60’), Lorne Bickley, Luke Watson, Miguel Carvalho (off 83’)
Subs: Fraser Barlow (on 83’), Daniel Jinadu, Rai Dos Santos (on 60’), James Sunley (on 60’), Harry Mackenzie (on 83’)
