JERSEY’S best footballing outfit welcome an in-form Eastbourne Town to Springfield Stadium at 4pm tomorrow afternoon.
Despite the visitors’ league position their previous two results paint a very different picture for what this weekend might have in store for the reds.
Two emphatic home results saw Eastbourne beat fourth-placed Sittingbourne and hold fifth-placed Faversham Town to a 0-0 stalemate. With these two results helping the Bulls, they will be hoping for yet another favour from their opponents come tomorrow afternoon.
However, Bulls captain James Querée insists there will be no complacency as the islanders look to maintain their unbeaten run in 2026 and strengthen their play-off push.
Reflecting on last weekend’s 2-2 draw away to Erith Town, Querée admitted it was “a frustrating point,” but one that, in the context of other results, could still prove valuable.
“On reflection, it wasn’t the worst result,” he said. “You’ve got to credit the lads for staying in the game and coming back. We always want to win every game, so there’s disappointment there, but we dust ourselves off and go again.”
That resilience has become a key feature of the Bulls’ season, and Querée believes it could prove crucial in the run-in.
“We’ve got belief that we can get back into games,” he added. “But we’re not looking back – it’s one game at a time. It’s great to be unbeaten, and we don’t want to lose any game, but the focus is always on the next one.”
Saturday’s opponents, despite sitting 16th, arrive in Jersey in confident mood after taking points off two promotion-chasing sides – something Queree is wary of.
“You look at their results and they speak for themselves,” he said. “There are no easy games in this league. Teams at this level are clinical, and if you give them an opportunity, they can punish you.
“We’re definitely not expecting three points. We’ll work as hard as we can to get them, but we can’t just turn up and expect things to happen. Eastbourne will come here to cause another upset.”
The Bulls remain firmly in the play-off places, with rivals Sittingbourne and Faversham Town both slipping up last weekend, but Querée is keen to keep the focus internal.
“The table will take care of itself,” he said. “All we can control is what happens between those white lines. We’ve got our targets as a group, and it’s about taking another step towards them.”
As the season enters its decisive phase, the Bulls are determined to turn what has already been a strong campaign into something more.
“We’ve had a good season, but we want to make it a great one,” Querée said. “We’ve come through a lot this year, on and off the pitch, and now it’s about finishing the job.”
The hosts will, however, be without vice-captain Johnny Le Quesne, who is expected to miss the remainder of the season through injury – a significant blow both on and off the pitch.
“He’s a massive loss,” Querée admitted. “He always puts the team first, and we’ll miss him. But it’s a squad game – one door closes, another opens.”
There is, though, a boost with the return of Harry Curtis, adding depth at a crucial stage of the season.
“Harry’s been brilliant since coming back,” said Querée. “At this point, it’s not about individuals, it’s about the collective. The lads are fully bought in.”
With the play-off race tightening – just three points separating the chasing pack – another victory this weekend could prove pivotal as the Bulls aim to keep their promotion hopes firmly on track.
Jersey Bulls squad: Adam Trotter, Euan Van Der Vliet, Francis Lekimamati, Fraser Barlow, Harry Curtis, James Carr, James Querée, Jamie Watling, Jay Giles, Joe Kilshaw, Lorne Bickley, Luke Campbell, Luke Watson, Miguel Carvalho, Rai Dos Santos, Toby Ritzema
Archie’s Predicted XI
A favourable home fixture means Elliot Powell can confidently roll out an attacking side and I am sure he will revert back to a 4-3-3 after a draw with his 4-4-1-1 last weekend.
Euan Van Der Vliet will continue in goal but a huge blow with Jonny Le Quesne no longer available through injury means the Bulls defensive line is likely to be chopped and changed in the coming weeks.
I expect Jay Giles, Jamie Watling, Luke Campbell and James Querée to make up the defence, Harry Curtis also available but I think Powell will prioritise fitness and minutes played this season.
My favoured midfield consists of Luke Watson with powerhouses Adam Trotter and Toby Ritzema allowed to roam ahead of the defensive midfielder. However, I would not be surprised to see James Sunley in the starting line-up.
Finally, my front three remains unchanged as it has for most of the season, with Rai Dos Santos, Lorne Bickley and Miguel Carvalho from left to right.
