A BEAMING Jersey Bulls assistant-manager Kevan Nelson was effusive in his praise for his team after they eventually saw off the durable challenge of Abbey Rangers with a 2-0 win at a festive Springfield.
Fraser Barlow gave the crowd some cheer when he opened the scoring deep in the second half with one of the best goals ever scored in Bulls’ infant history. Luke Watson then sealed the deal with virtually the last kick of the game.
But before then both teams struggled to get a word in edgeways in a battle that many of the players could show their scars from.
That Bulls came through in the end was a testament to their persistence and patience.
“Outstanding performance,” hailed Nelson. “It wasn’t a classic by any means. I think they started well, but we made our quality tell in the end and Fraser’s finished was pure class.
“It always felt like the game was going to be won with a touch of brilliance somewhere. It was a game of chess in there sometimes.
“There was a lot going on in midfield, sometimes missing out midfield with a lot of long balls, even in this wind, but it was great strike to get us 1-0 up and then Luke to finish it off was well pleasing.
“The patient side of us has come on in the last couple of years, to be able to stick in these games, not twist, just to stick in. We’re learning all the time and I think this is a testament to that. We’ve got a great squad in there and they are buzzing, and so they should be. A good result against a very strong side that don’t lose too many games, so it’s nice to get a result here at Springfield, which we don’t always do.”
Indeed they don’t when faced with the other promotion contenders in the past but now they have found a way to do it, with the result lifting Bulls to second place in the Premier South Division of the Combined Counties Football League.
The wealthy team from the wealthy town of Farnham in Surrey may be running away with things at the top of the table, having not dropped a single point yet from 13 games. But this win should do Bulls the world of good for their own promotion contention.
“In previous years, we’ve struggled to beat these teams around us,” admitted Nelson. “We’ve gotten better at doing it now. We’ve got more experienced and hopefully it’ll be a change for us this season. We can do something better than we did last season.”
