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JERSEY Bulls return to action tomorrow as they make the trip to the Beacon Ground to face 12th-placed Hassocks, looking to build on last weekend’s hard-fought 1-0 win over Sevenoaks. The Bulls have shown renewed defensive resilience in recent weeks, taking four points from their last two matches — including a 1-1 draw against league leaders Three Bridges — and will be keen to extend that form on the road. Reflecting on the win over Sevenoaks, assistant manager Dan Garton admitted it was a demanding afternoon for his side, stating: “Last weekend’s game was a real grind, we lacked quality on the ball.” “I think we looked a little bit tired from the efforts against Three Bridges earlier in the week. Ultimately, taking four points from those two home games was vital to building up momentum into the coming games.” Hassocks, promoted last season after storming the Southern Combination Football League with 97 points, have adjusted well to life at this level. They are the only side in the division to boast a goal difference of zero — exemplifying their competitive, balanced start to the campaign. “Hassocks seem a well-organised team,” added Garton. “We watched them against Faversham earlier in the week — it was a well-earned point against a team near the top. We’re expecting a tough test in potentially tricky conditions, given it’s a grass pitch and there’s been a lot of rain.” The Bulls will have to contend with a stretched squad heading into back-to-back away fixtures, with Hassocks on Saturday followed by another trip on Tuesday night. “We’re slightly struggling with the squad coming into these two away games,” Garton explained. “Luke Campbell is still serving a suspension, Toby Ritzema is nursing an ankle injury, Jamie Watling is on holiday, and a few others are unavailable due to personal commitments.” “This weekend will be a challenge for our wider squad, with players having to play out of position, but it’ll be a good test and one we’re looking forward to.” After failing to keep a clean sheet in their opening nine games, Jersey have shown signs of tightening up defensively — something Garton is eager to see continue. “The games against Whyteleafe and Sevenoaks showed the defensive solidity that we need,” he said. “We’ll be looking to gain our first away clean sheet of the season by being compact and hard to beat.” With the Bulls having already faced the majority of the sides in the top ten, Garton is confident that his players understand the need for consistency as they enter a key stretch of the campaign. “We’ve played most of the top ten, including leaders Three Bridges twice,” he noted. “It’s slightly easier to motivate the lads for the ‘bigger’ games, but we’re aware that there won’t be many matches where we can afford to drop our standards. Any complacency will be detrimental to gaining the three points we’re after.” The Robins’ home form — three wins and two draws from seven games — underlines the challenge, but the Bulls will take confidence from their disciplined display last time out and the momentum gained from a clean sheet. The match kicks off at 2pm at the Hassocks Hotel Beacon Ground, where the Bulls will hope to add another positive result to their growing sense of progress. Jersey Bulls Squad: Adam Trotter, Euan Van Der Vliet, Francis Lekimamati, Harry MacKenzie, James Carr, James Queree (c), James Sunley, Jay Giles, Joe Kilshaw, Jonny Le Quesne, Lorne Bickley, Luke Watson, Miguel Carvalho, Pierce Roche, Rai Dos Santos Archie’s Predicted XI With a couple of starters missing, Elliot Powell will likely shuffle his deck this week. I expect Euan Van Der Vliet to keep his spot. With Jamie Watling and Luke Campbell unavailable, I have chosen captain James Queree, along with Jay Giles at centre half. I believe James Carr to start his second consecutive match, whilst Jonny Le Quesne is the obvious pick at right back. I trust Luke Watson, Adam Trotter and Joe Kilshaw will begin as the midfield three, although James Sunley has potential to make a positive difference in what will be a tightly contested midfield battle. Finally, I do have a tendency to pick the same front three each week, but all three are difficult to dispute. I have Rai Dos Santos at left wing, Lorne Bickley leading the line and Miguel Carvalho on the right.
