JERSEY BULLS – 0
DORKING WANDERERS – 1 (Brennan Camp, 64′)
Attendance: 247
Player of the Match: Jack Lumsden
JERSEY Bulls took one step closer to readying themselves for the upcoming season with a home clash against none other than Dorking Wanderers and, despite narrowly losing out 0-1, the Islanders showed great improvement from last week’s match against Dulwich Hamlet.
Dorking Wanderers brought with them a great deal of quality, having finished fourth in the National League South last season before just missing out in the play-off semi-finals.
To greet them, the Jersey Bulls fielded an unchanged line-up and remained still a long way off their full strength, despite Jamie Watling, Fraser Barlow, James Sunley and Francis Lekimamati gracing the pitch for their first appearances of the season.
The visitors were the ones who ended up commencing the game with the kick-off, as they held on well to dictate possession for the opening segment.
Although the hosts were struggling to get a look-in early on, they ensured to keep up the pressure on their adversaries to prevent them from entering that final third.
However, for all the pressure, Dorking’s dominant grasp of the game meant it was inevitable that a chance would arise, as it did in the fourth minute when skipper Dan Pybus gathered the loose ball at the edge of the box to take the shot first time. Fortunately for the Bulls, the effort sailed over the bar, giving them just an early scare.
Four minutes later, Dorking Wanderers found themselves once again causing havoc for the Bulls, as Jack Wood volleyed the ball from right in front of the goal. However, Jay Giles was in the right place at the right time to block the shot and deflect it for a corner.
The half wasn’t without controversy, as Sammy Henia-Kamau appealed for a penalty with claims of the keeper “flattening” James Carr, but the referee chose to continue play.
The Bulls managed to put some passes together throughout, but they just lacked that bit of quality in possession to leave the door open for Dorking Wanderers to reclaim the ball, which really was the story of the first half as the home side couldn’t get a hold of the game.
However, the Bulls changed their tune following the half-time break, as they didn’t waste any time to make a fast start.
Just six minutes after play resumed, the Bulls’s found themselves presented with their best chance of the game, as Harry Curtis reached for the ball at the far post from Henia-Kamau’s corner to go towards goal.
Before it could hit the back of the net, Dorking’s Camp managed to hook it away just in the nick of time. Controversy hit once again however, as the Bulls claimed that the ball was “a foot over the line” – but, with the assistant’s view obscured by the sheer number of bodies in the box, the decision was no goal.
Henia-Kamau himself then followed up that episode with a chance of his own after being played in by James Carr, but he took just a touch too much and Dorking’s Isaac Philpot launched himself across to block the attempt.
The Bulls certainly seemed revitalised, but Dorking hit back to break the deadlock, following up Josh Barrett’s near-miss chip shot with a looping header from Camp from Frank Vincent’s cross on the left flank, going back across Pierce Roche into the left corner and making it 1-0 for the visitors.
From there, Dorking Wanderers regained control to comfortably ride out the game, following a pair of fine saves from both Pierce Roche and substitute goalkeeper Harry Gladdish.
Jersey Bulls – Pierce Roche, Jonny Le Quesne, James Carr, James Queree (c), Harry Curtis, Toby Ritzema, Jay Giles, Jack Lumsden, Darryl Mvalo, Jarma Mohamed, Sammy Henia -Kamau. Substitutes – Harry Gladdish (for Roche, 83′), Jamie Watling (for Le Quesne, 73′), Fraser Barlow (for Giles, 73′), Casey Nixon (for Carr, 61′), James Sunley (for Toby Ritzema, 76′), Harry Mackenzie (for Lumsden, 76′), Seaney McColgan (for Henia-Kamau, 73′), Francis Lekimamati (for Mvalo, 73′)
Dorking Wanderers – Glenn Morris, Brennan Camp, Charlie Sayers, Dan Pybus (c), Isaac Philpot, George Francomb, Jack Wood, Seb Tauta-Caballero, George Nikaj, Josh Barrett, Frank Vincent. Substitutes – Max Foulkes (for Morris, 73′), Ted Sullivan (for Philpot, 73′), Sid Moore (for Vincent, 73′), Jake Lawrence (for Barrett, 73′), Fin McIntyre (for Sayers, 83′), Cristiano Barreca (for Pybus, 73′)
