JERSEY BULLS have a great chance to build on Saturday’s 2-0 win over Guildford City tonight and take advantage of the rest of the league’s weather-related inactivity.
They travel to Sheerwater, a club they have enjoyed playing against more than most, winning all five previous games against them, scoring 27 and conceding just two. They have particularly enjoyed playing them at their ground at the Eastwood Centre, which, like Springfield, has one of the few 3G pitches in the league. Last season, they won 7-0 there, the season before, 8-0. While much of the league schedule has been washed out, there is no danger of tonight’s game being postponed, which manager Gary Freeman believes should go in their favour.
However, they will have to do it without star striker Lorne Bickley, who is absent from the line-up due to a knock he picked up on Saturday.
“Tonight is really big for us. It looks like no games are being played in the UK. Their weather is not great. Some of the pitches are in a state so playing on a 3G gives us an opportunity to put points on the board. That’s really important now going into the last eight weeks of the season,” said Freeman.
“We’ve not got to keep that drive and focus going. I expect us to have a lot of possession and we’ve got to make sure we go and get a goal, get the result and manage the game and get ready again for the next week.”
Bulls failed to take advantage of their 2-0 win at promotion rivals Knaphill in mid-February, dropping points in their next three games and allowing teams to catch up with them in the hunt for the four play-off places. But they are now in the middle of a favourable run of five games where they can expect to take maximum points before the visit of runaway league leaders Farnham Town on 23 March.
Freeman experimented with a change of shape on Saturday with three at the back, allowing the midfield to press higher up the pitch. The system worked in the first half, with striker Lorne Bickley evidently receiving better support and with width provided by Francis Lekimamati and Fergus Boyle. However, with Boyle suspended and Giles and Carr on the treatment table, a lack of left-sided options may force Freeman to return to a more familiar shape.
“We’ll have a look at the options we’ve got. We’ve got JJ [Lloyd] coming back in and one or two others but I saw enough in our midfield to know we’ve got a few options in that area,” added Freeman.
