JERSEY Bulls earned a worthy 2-1 victory in a tight but action-packed clash over Crowborough Athletic to ensure they’ve made a winning to start to 2026 in the Isthmian League’s South East Division, at home and on the road.
Manager Elliot Powell and his travelling contingent blew aside the issues faced after Storm Goretti hit the island and turned their planned preparations on its head to put in an assured performance in East Sussex.
Attacking midfielder Adam Trotter caught everyone’s eye with the best goal of the game in bitterly cold conditions, but it was Bulls returning centre-forward Lorne Bickley who got the highest praise from Powell after the gritty affair.
“We weren’t at our best, but we were never going to be with a week of preparation that we’ve had, or lack off”, he said.
Powell added: “Due to the storm we were unable to train on Thursday, and that was after we’d given the lads who played through December the night off on Tuesday. So it was always going to be a bit bitty for us, but the main thing is we’re starting to learn how to win on pitches like this, against teams like this and in conditions like this.
“I’m really happy we’ve won but we’re going to have to be better next week against Sittingbourne.”
Crowborough Athletic 1
Samuel-Smikle 47′
Jersey Bulls 2
Trotter 19′, OG Reed 29′
HT Score: 0-2
Attendance: 268
Officials: Conor Griffin (ARs) Darren Kempson, William Prior
JEP Player of the Match: Lorne Bickley
On having Bickley and Jonny Le Quesne return but captain James Queree out injured, Powell added: “We added nearly 300 appearances into the side and that means as much as we’re missing Queree, we’ve actually had more experience on the pitch than in previous weeks.
“We’re really happy with those two. Lorne was excellent, he led the line well and dominated two centre-halves single handedly.
“The way Crowborough played, and the shape they played with, our wingers were a little deeper than we’d have liked. It meant we played more as a 4-5-1 than 4-3-3, which meant Lorne was very isolated at times.
“That’s why the first goal from Adam was such a good goal. He’d recognised the cue to get in those channels. They both had excellent games but Lorne in particular did some hard yards that perhaps people watching via cameras at home haven’t realised, and we’re grateful for Lorne’s presence.
“Make no mistake if we didn’t have an out and out No.9 like Lorne then that’s a very different result.”
With Crowborough’s Charles Century Community Stadium ground firm under foot and a glimpse of sun breaking through the chilly clouds, the home-side’s diminutive midfielder Connor Pring kicked off and the opening minutes saw the Crows peppering Bulls box.
Several times Crows right-back Marcus Goldsmith flew down the flank and whipped in a couple of short crosses but a mixture of a Luke Campbell header, a Pierce Roche punch away, and some good man marking dealt with the early pressure.
Bulls built into the game and an intercept by Luke Watson in the middle of the park led to Bickley holding the ball up before left back Jay Giles kicked a long ball forward to the charging Trotter, it bounced once and the No.12 had a whisker of space between two defenders to hit it on the half volley with the ball flying over keeper Charlie Holmwood and into the back of the net.
Eleven minutes later, a cross from Miguel Carvalho on the left hit the home-team’s Harry Reed’s head, and the left-back couldn’t control it as the ball found the back of the net.
Jersey looked comfortable; a long Giles shot swung just wide of the top-left corner of the goal at the end of the first-half.
The Crows fought back after the break, and after a Joe Kilshaw pass went array, Reed intercepted, had a quick one-two with Tom Pearson before setting up 24-year-old Rushaar Samuel-Smikle. The Londoner drifted between the white shirts before a swirling shot grazed the left post and hit the net to pull one back.
As the temperature at Sussex’s highest football ground dopped below freezing point the game became a battle, Jersey was unable to create any more clear opportunities while Crows sub Elliott Duncan had a long looping effort whistled for offside on the 83rd minute just as the ball touched the inside of the net at the clubhouse end.
Bulls had changed to a 4-4-2 but went back to a 4-5-1 in the final minutes to ensure their fourth win from the last five games.
Trotter was clearly delighted in gifting himself an early birthday present, five days before turning 30, and told the JEP: “I’m very pleased, and it’s nice as I don’t get too many goals so it’s really nice to get onto the scoresheet.
“I’ve played with Jay [Giles] for years, and he knows that when the striker drops off, I try and peel away and make a run. I felt I timed it right, just onside and when the ball bounced up, I thought the best time to take it would be straight away. If I’d taken a touch it would have made it a bit harder. Luckily enough it was a good strike, it went past the keeper and I’m happy with that.
“The way that ball came across, there’s going to be a defender not far behind you and if you take a touch, you’re then inviting that kind of pressure. It bounced nicely and it was there to be hit.”
On linking with Bickley, he added: “It’s nice to have him back in the team, Lorne has a few dimensions to his game. We can go long, he can hold it up and open up the space for me, Joe [Kilshaw] or whoever to come in behind, and you can see when he does hold the ball it’s a battle for both those defenders.
“They know by the end of the game that they’ve been in a battle, and that was key in the second-half when we had to dig in and Lorne wasn’t getting the service he wanted.”
On Bulls current good form, he said: “This win helps up as we look to the play-offs, but there’s still a lot of football to be played, we’re taking it game by game. So, we just need to keep ourselves near those spots so we have plenty to fight for come the end of the season.”
Crowborough Athletic: Charlie Holmwood, Marcus Goldsmith, Harry Reed, Tom Boddy (c), Harrison Mayhew, Connor Pring, Brady Ayoola (off 57’), Alfie Lambden (off 70’), Rushaar Samuel-Smikle, Henry Muggeridge, Tom Pearson (off 70’) Substitutes: Jack Lyons (on 57’), Elliott Duncan (on 70’), Josh Turner, Mark Swainston (on 70’)
Booked: Connor Pring 33’, Harrison Mayhew 70’
Jersey Bulls: Pierce Roche, Jonny Le Quesne (c), Luke Campbell, Joe Kilshaw (on 74’), Miguel Carvalho, Adam Trotter, Jay Giles, Jamie Watling, Luke Watson, Lorne Bickley, Francis Lekimamati (off 63’) Substitutes: James Carr, Rai Dos Santos (on 63’), Stanley Dunne, James Sunley (on 74’)
Booked: Luke Campbell 17’, Luke Watson 70’
