Their defence seems virtually impenetrable, if and when their opponents get close enough to test it. In 21 matches, they have conceded just five goals and have now kept a clean sheet for 11 consecutive league games totalling over 1,030 minutes.
The last league goal they conceded was exactly three months ago and captain James Quérée was keen to share the credit for their astonishing achievement.
‘It’s a team thing,’ said defender Quérée after Bulls’ 1-0 away win at Cove.
‘Certainly as the season has gone on, the likes of Daryl [Wilson] and Karl [Hinds] have given us a lot more off the ball defensively to help us. With the midfielders providing cover and Euan [van der Vliet] and Luke [Campbell] at the back, we’re all on the same wavelength. We work hard to win the ball back’.
Bulls can take great pride in being the sole remaining team out of over 1,600 football clubs in the entire English National League System to have won every league game they have played in this season. They have won every cup match too, but that’s just a distraction for now from the main job at hand. They are 26 points ahead of second-place Bedfont & Feltham with 17 matches left to play. If they keep on winning then, mathematically, the latest they would seal promotion would be just eight matches from now – the first weekend in March. If they keep on winning, then realistically promotion (top four go up) will be sealed before the end of February.
One can only wonder when Bulls’ impressive start to life as a football club will begin to get a bit more attention from the mainstream media in the UK.
At the other end of the pitch, Bulls have scored 74 league goals at an average of over three and a half a game.
Imagine if they had a true number nine, a proper penalty box predator, they might have scored double that. Manager Gary Freeman was one such player back in the day, a gifted goal-scorer who would have thrived with the quality of players around him.
There have been some tough matches this season for the Bulls – they’ve still had to dig deep at times to get the win – but if there is one thing that may put a stop to their unbelievable winning run then it’s their own over elaboration in front of goal. Sometimes a player needs to take the bull by the horns and just have a go. Thankfully, Fraser Barlow did just that in the 55th minute to settle matters on Saturday.
Before Barlow’s goal Bulls had spurned a number of chances as Cove set out to frustrate in a 10-0-0 formation – after all, the Hampshire club were on the receiving end of a 7-0 hammering at Springfield in late November. At other times, Bulls were often too guilty of overplaying the pass, an indulgence in every team striving for perfection.
But sometimes a Bull should behave like a bull and Barlow did just that when he bulldozed his way through the Cove blockade and struck home. Bulls had chances to double their lead later on in the game but they couldn’t capitalise. Thankfully Barlow’s goal was enough to see them through in the end.
‘As the season grows, we’re finding new ways of having to win games,’ Quérée reflected on Bulls’ winning run and the unity within the club.
‘While some might try to discredit the league, we’ve still got to apply ourselves week-in week-out’.
