JERSEY BULLS manager Gary Freeman admitted his own frustration at seeing his side held to another draw at home – and he called on his players to take more responsibility to change the team’s fortunes.
Lorne Bickley’s goal just after the half-hour mark was quickly cancelled out by Piers Oldland’s strike before the half-time break.
Despite chances at both ends in the second half, the game with Balham ended 1-1 to make it four consecutive league games without a win, in the Premier Division South of the Combined Counties Football League.
“I thought we started really well and were moving the ball nicely. We’ve got ahead and we looked like we’re in control of the game. Then we’ve given a really soft goal away,” said Freeman.
“It was frustrating to let them back in the game. And then it’s became a bit of a scrappy after half-time. We never really got going with it again. We couldn’t get our foot on the ball.”
Bulls last league win came in 9 December when they beat Abbey Rangers 2-0 but have since drawn three and lost one, with three of the games on home soil.
“I wish I could just say it’s one simple thing,” he added. “We couldn’t quite get the patterns. You credit the opposition for that. I’m on the sideline, 15 minutes to go, and nothing’s happening. We put the three lads on Miguel [Carvalho], Francis [Lekimamati] and Joe to give us some spark but we still couldn’t get the ball down in areas that can hurt them. We couldn’t impose ourselves in that second half.
“There was no one who got a hold of the game by the scruff of the neck. We talked about that before the game. We need people to take responsibility and step up.
“We’re not losing. It’s just a bit of a tough little spell. Maybe we’ve got to go a bit ugly to grind a result or two and get a win on the board and three points.”
Despite the draw, their fifth of the season, Bulls are still sitting pretty in the promotion play-off positions in fourth place and with games in hand, but are now feeling desperate for a win, with a trip to strugglers Epsom & Ewell tomorrow that Freeman hopes will spark a much needed change in form.
