Jersey Bulls 5
Ritzema 23, 66; Dos Santos 39, 80; Hinds 77
Epsom & Ewell 1
Stillwell 63HT: 2-0Attendance: 683Player of the match: Toby Ritzema
NEW Year, same ruthless Jersey Bulls.The Islanders returned to Springfield Stadium and duly dispatched low-lying Epsom & Ewell in comprehensive fashion.
Despite a clear working formula for Elliot Powell and his coaching staff, navigating their way through 21 games unbeaten, Bulls lined up in a unfamiliar 4-4-2 formation – very much a dying breed in modern football.
Karl Hinds and Rai Dos Santos led the line, with Toby Ritzema on the left-wing, with a license to roam, which he duly obliged to.
Jonny Le Quesne occupied right-midfield, with the familiar duo of top scorer Joe Kilshaw and Luke Watson in the middle.
There was also a welcome return to the matchday squad for fan favourite, Adam Trotter.
The midfielder starred last campaign, but Saturday marked his first minutes of the 2024/25 season, after returning from travelling.
With six Premier Division South fixtures falling victim to the freeze across the United Kingdom, including the battle between Whyteleafe and Redhill atop the table, it provided those in red a valuable opportunity to make ground on the frontrunners.
It proved one they would grab with both hands.
The change in shape paid dividends early for the hosts, who threaded their way through the Epsom & Ewell lines with relative ease.
However, that cutting edge in the final third evaded them, and so did the opener.
Eventual player of the match Ritzema missed a gilt-edged chance in the ninth minute, blazing a shot over from six yards, after Rai Dos Santos’ corner fell perfectly at his feet.The signs were ominous and Ritzema quickly put the miss out of his system to glance a header, from another pin-point Dos Santos corner, past the clutches of Epsom keeper Kevin Kardel after 23 minutes.
Epsom & Ewell would spend the vast majority of the opening 45 minutes camped in their own half, and the pressure eventually told after 39 minutes, in scintillating style.
A free-kick from deep was flicked onto Hinds who volleyed a first-time ball to Watson.
The veteran midfielder hooked in another first-time ball into Dos Santos at the back stick, who made no mistake with his headed effort to double the lead before the half-time whistle.
The hosts returned after the break and picked up exactly where they left off.
As the rain tumbled down and the frigid temperature tumbled a couple more degrees, the football played by the hosts was enough the warm the cockles of the 683 who braved the familiar January conditions.
Once again, the telepathic midfield picked apart the visiting defence at ease to start the half, but Hinds’ left-footed effort drifted agonisingly wide of the left upright. Despite the dominance, it was Epsom & Ewell who scored next, seemingly from nowhere.
The familiar sight of an attacker planting himself practically on the goalkeeper’s toes did the trick for the visiting side, as a corner was bundled home at the near post by Niall Stillwell, leaving Euan Van Der Vliet helpless to make up the ground.
Any sniff of a comeback was put to bed by Powell’s side three minutes later, and it was that man Ritzema yet again to bring the home faithful to their feet.
He played a silky one-two with Dos Santos before unleashing a left-footed volley right into the top-left corner of the goal – which, despite at the near post, was absolutely unstoppable.
Those in red once again settled back into their game plan and patiently pressed and probed for more openings.
Their reward came after 77 minutes, all of Harry Curtis’ making. The defender poached the ball in the opposition’s half, coolly sliding through Le Quesne on the right.
His drilled cross picked out Hinds at the back post, who nonchalantly shouldered the ball into an empty net.
Jersey were not done just yet and there was time for Dos Santos to add a second.
More known for playing out wide, the forward has proven himself as a strong No.9 option for Powell and once again showed why.
Ritzema rounded off his exceptional day with a defence-splitting pass to pick out Dos Santos, who slotted home beyond the onrushing Kardel.
Yet another dominant win on the day, for a Bulls side who seem hell-bent on getting out of the division. Victory takes them within four points of the top two, who they have two and four games in hand on.
Jersey Bulls: Euan Van Der Vliet, Harry Curtis, Fraser Barlow, James Queree, Luke Campbell, Luke Watson, Toby Ritzema (Adam Trotter 89), Joe Kilshaw, Rai Dos Santos (Will Yates 89), Karl Hinds (Kieran Lester 79), Jonny Le Quesne (Seaney McColgan 83). Unused: Harry Gladdish.
Epsom & Ewell: Kevin Kardel, Toni Falodi (Stefan Aiwone 81), Kionte Gillfillian-Waul, Adam Grant Green, Nicolas Bostan, Niall Stillwell, Sean-Michael Anderson, Craig Charles Dundas, William Kendall, Jason Bloor (Jack Torbett 77), Nathan Best.
