JERSEY Bulls will be out for revenge as they welcome a confident Tadley Calleva to Springfield Stadium on Saturday.
Currently sitting in third place, the Bulls’ form – particularly at home – has been a little inconsistent for their liking but they remain well-placed for another crack at promotion.
This weekend, they will face a stiff challenge against a side who beat them 4-2 earlier in the season.
Hampshire-based Tadley Calleva have won their last three league matches and currently sit in eighth place, but with several games in hand over the upper-half of the table.
The Islanders though have a potent threat up front with marksman Lorne Bickley in fine goalscoring form, having shaken off his early season injury to fire in 13 goals in his 16 appearances this season.
And Gary Freeman’s side will be looking to the likes of Bickley as they seek to improve their form at Springfield with this being the first in a run which will see the Bulls play four of their next five league games at home. From their five home matches in the Combined Counties Premier South, they’ve recorded two wins and scored four goals.
Freeman said: “We can’t put our finger on one specific reason why we’ve struggled at home this season.
“Teams are always up for it when they travel to us. They will usually play against the biggest crowds when they come to us and that can work in the opponents’ favour.
“Last home game we saw a dramatic late equaliser which got the crowd really excited. Hopefully we can get another great crowd for this game and use it to our advantage.”
Speaking on their opponents this week, Freeman added: “I’m expecting a really tough game. They beat us earlier in the season so they’ll be confident.
“But we know we can beat them and it’s crucial that we put in good performances against the other sides pushing for promotion.”
The Bulls will be bolstered by the potential return of suspended midfielder Luke Watson, while Miguel Carvalho could also be in line for a return, fresh from his trial with English League 2 side Crawley Town.
Bulls and Tadley Calleva have been pretty evenly matched in their recent meetings. Last season, both league games finished 0-0, although the Bulls did record a 3-0 win away in the cup. And when the two sides met in Hampshire in August, a fast start from Tadley saw them race into a 3-1 lead inside 22 minutes before seeing out a 4-2 victory.
Jersey Bulls Squad: Euan Van Der Vliet, Harry Curtis, Frank Tobin, James Querée (c), Jay Giles, Luke Campbell, Will Byers, Adam Trotter, Ben Le Rougetel, Jack Boyle, James Carr, Joe Kilshaw, Jonny Le Quesne, Kamen Nafkha, Luke Watson, Fraser Barlow, Harry Scott, Lorne Bickley, Miguel Carvalho, Seaney McColgan
