JERSEY BULLS usher in the new year with a home clash tomorrow against Epsom & Ewell, with captain James Querée wanting “business as usual” from his disciples.
Elliot Powell and his men will look back on the first half of this campaign as a success, having made it all the way through to 2025 without losing a single league match.
The Bulls currently sit in third place in the Combined Counties Premier Division South, with 55 points from 21 games, seven points adrift of Redhill and AFC Whyteleafe in second and first respectively. They have games in hand over both.
They boast the extremely impressive statistic of having conceded the fewest goals in the league (12), while also being the second most prolific in front of goal (64).
Considering these numbers have been achieved during a genuine injury crisis for Powell and his coaching staff, the effort of the entire squad has been nothing short of extraordinary.
The work ethic and unity of the group is something to behold and a testament to the relationships developed between the coaching staff and the squad.
Skipper James Querée said: “The boys have been great over the festive break, training on both Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, and we’re ready to keep our hard work going.
“The level of commitment from this team is outstanding and it shows in how hard we train and how together we all are.
“The pride of representing the Island and the club is huge and is a big reason why we are where we are right now.”
Regarding tomorrow’s game, Querée continued: “League position doesn’t really matter to us, we know every game is going to be massive coming into the business end of the season if we are to keep pushing for our promotion aspirations.
“It’s going to be a big statement for us to hopefully secure another big three points at home tomorrow against Epsom.
“The first game of the new year in front of a big home crowd, we can’t wait.”
Assistant manager Dan Garton was also quick to praise the squad’s efforts over the festive period, highlighting their desire to stay professional and hold to the high standards they set.
He said: “The effort levels over the break just show the level of commitment from the squad and the standards that we’re attempting to reach.
“We’re sure Epsom will offer a good test tomorrow. Their form has been up and down, however they’re still in the FA Vase and have already taken points off Redhill this season.
“We welcome Karl Hinds back into the squad this weekend, which is a big attacking boost for us.
“The squad has a settled feeling at the moment and the key message is all about ensuring we get the job done.
“We know that Whyteleafe and Redhill are playing each other tomorrow as well. If we can do our job effectively, either way we will scrape some points back on the top two spots.”
Tomorrow’s opponents, Epsom & Ewell, currently sit in 17th place in the league with just six wins from their 22 games and a poor goal difference of -18.
However, the Surrey-based club, founded in 1918, remain one of the only teams this campaign to take a point away from Redhill, securing a 2-2 draw back at the start of October.
Since then, however, they have lost six of their last ten league matches, including ending 2024 with back-to-back home defeats.
One big plus of their campaign, however, is that they remain in the Isuzu FA Vase, after their third-round victory on 14 December, where they got the better of Burnham 2-1 at home.
The Bulls have met tomorrow’s opponents already this campaign in their second league fixture, where goals from Miguel Carvalho and Jonny Le Quesne secured a 2-0 win on the road.
Carvalho, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury for the last few weeks, is back in training now alongside defender Jay Giles and star frontman Lorne Bickley, with midfield maestro James Sunley expected to be out for another couple of weeks.
Manager Powell concluded by adding: “We’re keen to make a big statement tomorrow at home.
“We have had an excellent start to this season, but we need to remain focused and disciplined on the task at hand if we are to keep our promotion goals alive.
“With big name players in the wings ready to make their way back in to contention, it’s an exciting time and I’m looking forward to seeing what the boys can do tomorrow.”
Jersey Bulls squad: Euan Van Der Vliet, Francis Lekimamati, Fraser Barlow, Harry Curtis, James Carr, James Queree (c), Joe Kilshaw, Jonny Le Quesne, Karl Hinds, Kieran Lester, Luke Campbell, Luke Watson, Rai Dos Santos, Seaney McColgan, Toby Ritzema, Harry Gladdish
