Match Report

Just as when the two teams met in early December windy conditions were prevalent, this time with the remnants of Storm Eunice blowing through. Jersey had won that match 3-1 but since then Camberley have recently proved tough opposition for three top six opponents, Beckenham Town, Redhill and Raynes Park Vale, and now are lying 13th in the division with 9-4-14 28-43 record.

Camberley, formerly of the Isthmian League, joined the Combined Counties in 2006. Since when they have generally been amongst the top half dozen clubs. They were runners-up in both 2014 and 2015 and reached the F.A. Vase quarter-finals in 2016. However, the last three seasons have seen them in the bottom half of the table.

This season their young side went out of the F.A. Cup to Newhaven, who then lost to the Bulls. In the F.A. Vase they also fell at the first hurdle, going down to Long Crendon on “penalties”.
Camberley have played since 1923 at Krooner Park. It is so named as the land was bought by the owner of a horse named “Krooner”. The owner had successfully backed it to win a race at Haydock Park, near Liverpool.

Jersey made two changes to the Sheerwater line-up of last week. Frank Tobin was missing so Jonny Le Quesne reverted to right back with Adam Trotter, returning from injury, resuming midfield duties. Karl Hinds and Joe Kilshaw swapped roles, with Hinds starting this week. Kamen Nafkha and Daryl Wilson were also missing so Kilshaw was joined on the bench by Kieran Lester and Kevan Nelson.
Camberley were much changed from the meeting two months ago with only four of the starting line up having appeared at Springfield and a new goalkeeper, signed overnight from Leatherhead, starting for them.

Both sides were keen to play the game. With most games in the area called off Camberley had a bumper crowd, with over five times the usual number in attendance, and Jersey had been up since the crack of dawn in order to fly over for the match. The crowd was a record for a Jersey fixture on the mainland.

On a windy day the start was delayed for three minutes as the goal net inspection found that one corner of the Jersey goal needed taping up, no doubt after Storm Eunice’s “attentions”.
Jersey kicked off attacking the Railway end on a pitch reminiscent of those played on fifty years ago. It was very wet and muddy and had more rain fallen it probably could not have proceeded. Much as Jersey tried to play their quick passing game they were severely hampered by the conditions underfoot. In such quagmire conditions a very scrappy game ensued with little meaningful goalmouth action.

It was not until ten minutes before half time when Sol Solomon, attempting to skip past Luke Benton on the left, was brought down and a penalty awarded. Luke Campbell hit it hard and low towards the left but Camberley’s new ‘keeper, Harry Cawdron pulled off a good save only to see it rebound to his left where it stuck in a puddle and Campbell, following up, put it away from a couple of yards.
Five minutes later Camberley retaliated with a George Frise shot that Van der Vliet pushed away to his left to keep Jersey’s lead until the break.

Shortly after the interval three good chances in as many minutes fell to Jersey. Prince just failed to curl a twenty-yard shot into the top right corner and Bickley seeing Cawdron advancing, lobbed him but just cleared the bar. Finally, Prince advancing down the right passed inside to Hinds only for an unfortunate bobble to mean he also cleared the bar when very well placed.
Camberley came back into the match midway through the half and from the second of two successive corners half-time substitute Alex Penney headed wide of Van der Vliet’s right hand only for Campbell to scramble the ball away just as the hosts began to celebrate.

Camberley’s celebrations were not long delayed as a long ball set Frise loose on the left. Seeing Van der Vliet off his line he hit a speculative first time shot from twenty-five yards. It beat the visiting ‘keeper, struck the right post, and to add to his indignity, cannoned back in to Van der Vliet’s face as he scrambled back, and rebounded over the line.

Jersey continued to try to break down the Camberley defence as they sought the winner but were constantly thwarted by the conditions when a more direct approach was called for. In the fourth minute of added time man of the match Ruben Mendes-Pestana brought a good save out of Cawdron which looked as though it might be Jersey’s last opportunity when nothing came of the resultant corner.

However, two minutes later substitute Kieran Lester did well to regain possession of a loose ball on the left of the box. He passed inside to Mendes-Pestana whose pass to Bickley on the right was a little behind him. Nevertheless, Bickley managed to swivel and transfer his body weight to get a shot in on the turn to eventually defeat Cawdron. This ensured a vital win that left the hard-working Camberley players downcast as Bickley was mobbed by his exultant team mates.

Camberley Town (0) 1 (Euan Van der Vliet own goal 69); Jersey Bulls (1) 2 (Luke Campbell 36, Lorne Bickley 90+6)

Attendance 402

Programme £ gratis (on line only), 16pp

Camberley Town – Harry Cawdron, Luke Benton, Callum Wiltshire, Aaron Burchett, Lynden McGugan, Steven Lee, Jake Miles, George Frise (c), Ashley Elson, Ethan Jones, Stanley Jones
Substitutes – Micah Hylton (for E. Jones 64), Daniel Duncanson (for S. Jones 72), Mohssine Sabek (not used), Alex Penney (for Miles 46), Jacob Wheeler (for McGugan 83)

Luke Turkington (Manager), Lee Pollard (Assistant), Dave Huntingford (Coach), Billy Ludlow (U 23 Coach), Craig Green (U 18 Coach), Claire Benton (Physio.)

All Red (White fronts to shirts), GK All Green (first half), All Light Blue (second half)

Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet, Jonny Le Quesne, Jay Giles, James Queree (c), Luke Campbell, Adam Trotter, Jake Prince, Ruben Mendes-Pestana, Lorne Bickley, Karl Hinds, Sol Solomon
Substitutes – Joe Kilshaw (not used), Kieran Lester (for Hinds 80), Kevan Nelson (not used), only three substitutes

Gary Freeman (Manager), Kevan Nelson (Assistant), Richard Hebert (GK Coach)

Blue/Blue/White; GK – All Yellow

Referee – Stephen Matthews (Redhill) also refereed Jersey at Banstead Athletic earlier this season.

Assistants – David Bott (Godalming) on the dugout side and Phil Paice (Woking), who was also on the line for our recent matches against London Samurai Rovers and Sheerwater, on the grandstand side

Cautions – Miles (CT) 29, Mendes-Pestana (JB) 67, Burchett (CT) 73
Corners – Camberley Town (1) 3; Jersey Bulls (2) 6
Player of the Match (on line voting) – Ruben Mendes-Pestana 11, Adam Trotter 8, James Queree 4, Jay Giles 4

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