A DAZZLING first-half performance and a hat-trick from the red-hot Rai Dos Santos sealed a comprehensive 6-1 win for the Jersey Bulls on Saturday at Springfield, extending their unbeaten run in 2026 to 13 games and moving them up into fourth place in the Isthmian South East Division.
Jersey Bulls 6
Campbell 9’, Dos Santos 12’, 22’, 58’, Bickley 29’, Ritzema 66’
Crowborough Athletic 1
Lyons 75’
HT Score: 4-0
Attendance: 1,189
JEP Player of the Match: Rai Dos Santos
The Bulls hosted Crowborough Athletic, based in the north-east of East Sussex on the Kent border. They currently sit 14th in the table and are a side whom the Bulls had defeated 2-1 in early January.
Their last two fixtures had both been against Faversham, losing 0-4 at home in midweek before bouncing back to draw 1-1 at Faversham last Saturday with a squad that showed only two differences to the one that faced Jersey in January.
The latter result did the Islanders a good turn, as now, with five matches to play, they and Faversham are level on points and goal difference as they contest the last play-off place.
Jersey made one change to their squad, with James Sunley coming in for Francis Lekimamati on the bench. There two starting rotations with James Carr and Adam Trotter starting in place of Joe Kilshaw and Miguel Carvalho.
Crowborough captain Tom Boddy, a substitute last week, coming in for Charlie Paye, who had been recalled by Bromley from his loan, was their only significant change.
Jersey produced their best football of the season for their biggest crowd of the season as they swept aside Crowborough Athletic and at the same time leapfrogged Sittingbourne Town and Faversham Town, who both suffered heavy home defeats.
It puts the Bulls into fourth position and for the first time in the season they have their play-off destiny in their own hands.
Rai Dos Santos was the star of the show with his second hat-trick in three home matches, now making eight goals in his last four home fixtures. It was a perfect hat-trick too – left foot, header and right foot as the decisive win allowed the manager to bring on all his substitutes as he rested vital members of the team ahead of their two fixtures in three days over the forthcoming Easter weekend.
Crowborough were no mean opponents, having drawn at Faversham last week, but Jersey were four up in the opening half hour. The first arrived when James Carr was clattered just outside the box. The resultant torn ligaments in his left ankle led to him being replaced by Miguel Carvalho shortly afterwards by which time the Bulls were two up.
The free kick by Jay Giles given for the Carr foul hit the defensive wall but the rebound was recycled to Luke Watson on the left flank and his cross was met by a diving Dos Santos header near the penalty spot. This was parried by Charlie Holmwood in the visitors goal diving to his left but Luke Campbell, still up after the free kick, scrambled the ball home from a yard.
Before Carvalho arrived Dos Santos had opened his account. Giles fed Toby Ritzema on the left and his precise low cross saw Dos Santos react quickest, lose his marker, and hit a first time left foot shot past Holmwood’s despairing right hand to make it two.
He doubled his personal account ten minutes later when Lorne Bickley chased down a ball to the right and laid it back to Adam Trotter on the right corner of the box. Trotter “stood up” a cross to the far post where Dos Santos arrived to head the ball back across Holmwood.
The fourth goal arrived just before the half hour and it was an excellent team move. Captain James Querée, pushing further forward with the comfortable lead established, received a pass inside from Carvalho before delivering a precise through ball to the onrushing Bickley. There was still work to do but the stretching striker astutely bent it around the onrushing ‘keeper with the outside of his right boot.
Before half time Jersey could have taken their tally towards double figures. Holmwood saved from both Trotter and Bickley before getting his fingertips to a Ritzema effort that was just enough to take it past the post.
Bickley looked certain to add a fifth but stumbled when one on one with Holmwood which allowed the ‘keeper to save at his feet. In added time Dos Santos was thwarted by the bar as he looked to complete a first half hat-trick.
The flow towards the Crowborough goal continued after the interval with Dos Santos looking to complete his hat trick. It did not seem likely when he received the ball from Giles thirty yards out on the left wing, but he went on a weaving run which took him towards the right corner of the box whereupon he swivelled and found the bottom left corner with his right foot.
Ritzema made it half a dozen when close interplay between substitute James Sunley and Bickley set him up just inside the box. This time he gave Holmwood no opportunity as he thundered his shot in off the underside of the bar, adding a trademark celebration to boot.
With a quarter of an hour remaining Crowborough scored a consolation with a fine goal of their own. Substitute Brady Ayoola outpaced Jamie Watling, no slouch himself, on the right and found Jack Lyons rushing in at the far post where he did well to volley the high ball past the otherwise redundant Euan Van der Vliet.
Another convincing win for the islanders however keeps their stunning momentum this year going as they firmly cement themselves in the playoff mix with just five games remaining.
Squads
Jersey Bulls: Euan Van der Vliet, Jamie Watling, James Carr, James Querée (c), Luke Campbell, Toby Ritzema, Luke Watson, Adam Trotter, Lorne Bickley, Rai Dos Santos, Jay Giles
Substitutes – Fraser Barlow (for Bickley 67’), Joe Kilshaw (for Watson 67’), Miguel Carvalho (for Carr 13’ inj), James Sunley (for Dos Santos 61’), Harry Curtis (for Giles 76’)
Crowborough Athletic: Charlie Holmwood, Jack Mayhew, Harry Reed, Tom Boddy (c), Harrison Mayhew, Connor Pring, Marcus Goldsmith, Alfie Lamden, Elliott Duncan, Jack Lyons, Tom Pearson
Substitutes – Henry Muggeridge (for Lambden 74’), Josh Turner (for Mayhew 48’), Brady Ayoola (for Duncan 59’), Mohamed Zabadne (for Mayhew 65’), Harry Forster (for Pearson 50’)
Isthmian South East Division
