REPORT: GUILDFORD CITY 0 JERSEY BULLS 7

Championship chasing Jersey Bulls maintained the pressure at the top of the table with a big victory at the Spectrum. For the host club playing their third consecutive match against a top three side this was another embarrassing defeat following similar results against Beckenham and Walton & Hersham. This transitional period following Nikki Bull’s arrival is proving to be a testing period for everybody connected to the club. For this match City’s threadbare squad was tested further with two suspensions, a defender withdrawing with Covid on the morning of the game, and the addition of a debutant 16-year-old goalkeeper.

For the first half hour Guildford looked organised and were in the game. In the second minute Nathaniel Mensah broke free down the left and just as he was about to pull the trigger a defender made an excellent full stretch covering tackle. Jersey had much of the possession but City were always looking to attack on the break. From a Jersey corner a header saw Necati Gench head off the line, and Luca Ziger tipped a powerful effort over the bar. On 26 minutes Harrison Livingstone’s shot was parried by a diving Van de Vleit. Six minutes later the Bulls went ahead. The impressive Sol Solomon crossed low from the left and Lorne Bickley was on hand to turn the ball in from close range.  Four further minutes on and Solomon himself scored with an excellent strike from 25 yards.  The question then for the second half was how would City respond?