JERSEY Bulls turn their magnificent form of late to the third round of the Isuzu FA Vase competition tomorrow as they make the long journey to Whitstable Town.
Bolstered by the return of some familiar faces, Elliot Powell’s side will be keen to continue to make headway in the only competition outside the league this season, with the potential of a trip to the hallowed turf of Wembley awaiting the finalists.
Opponents Whitstable Town currently sit 14th in the Southern Counties East Premier Division, Step 5 of the English football pyramid.
After a challenging start to their season, they are showing notable resilience and their early struggles at home have transformed into steady improvement, with the team picking up crucial points in recent weeks.
The Bulls sailed though the previous round with a solid 2-0 away win over Bedfont Sports last month, and captain James Querée wants that run to continue.
“Playing in any cup competition is always exciting,” said the experienced skipper.
“Anything can happen in knockout football and it’s always a good challenge to face a team we haven’t seen before.
“They seem in decent form and we know it will be a tough test for us, especially being away from home.
“Getting to this stage of any cup, you’re always going to come up against decent opposition and we’re ready for that challenge.
“But we are in good form at the moment and the boys are feeling really confident we can put in another performance and progress through to the next round.”
Querée commented on the return of several key players, saying: “It’s great that we have a few lads back for this game. The management staff might be thinking about rotating some options, but it’s always good to have strong options available and, with our squad, we definitely have that.”
Manager Elliot Powell echoed those sentiments, also confessing that it feels like a “bit of a free hit” in these early stages of the cup.
“All the boys are looking forward to this one, especially after the last couple of results going our way.
“I always think it’s a good sign when a team is winning while not playing their best and that’s been true of us at times.
“But we’re finishing ways to get over the line in both cup and league games which I’m very happy about.”
Games continue to come thick and fast for Powell’s men, with a huge league match just round the corner on Tuesday night against Chipstead to prepare for also.
“It’s always challenging this time of year with all the fixtures,” continued Powell, “But to see some names coming back from holidays and the injury list is a big positive.
“This game is a great chance for us to get away from the pressure of league football and enjoy the challenge of a knockout match.
“We’re chasing two teams in the league above us who are proving themselves relentless, so this game will give us a nice, if not brief, break from that.
“We don’t know much about Whitstable, but we know they are at Step 5 and play on a 4G surface, so they should be pretty comfortable passing the ball around.
“But that suits us, we’re used to playing under those conditions at Springfield so I’m expecting the boys to be able to handle whatever is thrown at them.”
Assistant manager Dan Garton added his thoughts, saying: “We’re really excited for another game in the vase, and another opportunity against an unknown entity.
“We have a long trip to Kent seaside, which will be a challenge logistically, but the boys are really excited for the prospect of another step towards Wembley.
“In terms of the squad, Euan [Van Der Vliet] takes a little bit of time at home with his newborn child, so this is an opportunity for Pierce Roche to come in and impress.
“The lads are high in spirits after a tough week, but it was rewarding to come out with three wins.
“We go into this game with three away games on the bounce. It’s going to be a tricky seven days, but everyone is up for the challenge.”
Jersey Bulls squad: Pierce Roche, Francis Lekimamati, Fraser Barlow, Harry Curtis, James Carr, James Querée (c), Joe Kilshaw, Jonny Le Quesne, Karl Hinds, Kieran Lester, Luke Campbell, Luke Watson, Rai Dos Santos, Sammy Sutcliffe, Toby Ritzema
