JERSEY BULLS have got their wish as the English Football Association have granted a rearrangement of their last remaining league fixture.
Fleet Town were due to travel to Springfield this weekend but, due to a lack of flight availability, the Combined Counties Premier South fixture could not be fulfilled.
As a result, the Bulls requested that Combined Counties League officials consider rearranging the tie for 30 April – a decision which was subsequently referred to the FA.
FA guidelines currently rule that Step 5 fixtures must be complete by 23 April. However, an allowance had already been made in the CCL Premier North for a game to take place on 30 April.
Russell Le Feuvre, Jersey Bulls’ chairman, said prior to the approval: ‘Fleet Town are happy with the new date, so we are awaiting confirmation from the FA to grant the proposed new date. Despite 23 April being the last fixture date in CCL Premier South, there is a fixture taking place on 30 April in the Premier North, therefore we are hopeful that the new proposed date shall be granted.’
Le Feuvre said that allowances would be made for Jersey under-21s coach James Scott, who takes his side to Guernsey on the same day.
‘We are conscious that the new date coincides with the U21 Muratti, so if James wants some of our younger players for the fixture, we certainly won’t stand in their way.
‘Fingers crossed that the Fleet fixture goes ahead, because it would be a nice game for the squad to tie up the season with.’
One Bulls player who will be happy that the fixture is to go ahead is Jonny Le Quesne.
The midfielder had become a favourite of Gary Freeman at right-back but the playmaker has got his wish further up the field in recent weeks. He has repaid the faith in him with a handful of goals and a man-of-the-match performance against Horley Town.
‘Obviously it’s nice to play in the midfield. I feel very comfortable there,’ he said.
‘We started the game [against Horley] a little flat and we changed things around.
‘I shuffled inside and it seemed to give us more joy through the middle.’
Le Quesne also had high praise for teenage defender Sammy Sutcliffe, who scored a 95th-minute winner from the penalty spot on Monday.
‘Massive credit has to go to Sammy. It’s never easy to take the responsibility of a last-minute penalty, but he grabbed the ball and buried it.’
Sutcliffe has been one of the beneficiaries regarding the growing treatment table at the Bulls.
The young centre-half has slotted in alongside James Quérée seamlessly, earning the praise and respect of the club captain.
Freeman’s men have now won their last three league fixtures and remain in fourth place, as they attempt to reel in Raynes Park in third place, with one game to play.
