The Bulls’ team showed three changes to last week’s starting line up with Jonny Le Quesne (family event) and Adam Trotter (injury) returning along with Kieran Lester moving up from the bench. They replaced the unavailable Harry Cardwell, Jack Griffin and Ruben Pestana. Rai Dos Santos, son of Yazalde “Ali” Santos, the former Jersey Scottish, Jersey and A.F.C. Bournemouth player, was on the bench and at 17 years 85 days displaced James Carr as Bulls’ youngest ever player. Alongside him was Sean Lambert making his debut this season.

It was the Bulls’ first visit to Shawfield (in the leafy suburbs of Aldershot, rather than Clyde’s old ground) as last season’s fixture just before Christmas was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch and the re-match never happened. Groundsman Gareth Whatmore had it in good condition and the well tended hedge lined ground reminded one of another Scottish ground – Brechin City’s Glebe Park.

Ash United were the Bulls’ opening day opponents last season when they were defeated 3-0. This season they were lying in 7^th position, one below the Bulls. Their five games had seen a remarkable 29 goals scored. On the opening day they had lost heavily to Walton & Hersham before winning comfortably against both Bagshot and A.F.C. Hayes before losing both their last two matches 2-3, a prescient scoreline!

The match kicked off in sunshine but with a cold cross wind blowing in to the dug outs as the Bulls attacked the clubhouse end. An early mazy run by Adam Trotter saw him thread a clever pass through to Arthur Illingworth who finished with aplomb in to the top left corner to give the Bulls an excellent start. Jonny Le Quesne soon forced a save from Jamie Cunningham at the expense of a corner which came to nothing.

Ash responded with attempts by top scorer Cameron Bradbury and then Luke Cairns but neither troubled Bradley Rolland. Shortly after the half hour Luke Campbell “scored” but was pulled up for offside. Instead of being two up and cruising, the Bulls immediately shot themselves in the foot with some careless play just outside their own box which saw Ash regain possession, feed Bradbury on the left edge of the penalty box allowing him to sweep the ball home first time for the equaliser.

Matters worsened just before half time when a shortish back pass made the ‘keeper dither and his attempt to beat the onrushing Bradbury was blocked. The ball fell kindly for the striker to tap home and become only the second player to score twice, and the first one in a league match, against the Bulls. In added time Jordan Devanney put a 20 yard free kick just high and wide which would have given the Bulls a mountain to climb in the second half, as it was they went in to the break trailing for the first time in their 35 matches.

The second half would be a test of character and it saw the Bulls lay siege to the Ash goal as they sought to preserve their 100% record. Fraser Barlow and Lester both went close before a magnificent chest trap and volley saw Illingworth return Cunningham’s clearance with interest only for it to strike the post and rebound to the stranded keeper.

Just before the hour Cunningham made a good double save from Lester and then from Barlow following up, and a few minutes later from Lester once again. Lester then looked to have scored as he deftly lifted the ball over the advancing Cunningham but it struck the bar. However Sol Solomon was quickest to the rebound to tuck home the deserved equaliser.

With quarter of an hour to go Solomon struck an excellent free kick that Cunningham only managed to parry to the onrushing Campbell but he was unable to get a good connection and the relieved Ash ‘keeper was able to mop up the situation.

From this, Ash broke away and Kamen Nafkha brought down the attacker. Although he was only ten yards inside the Bulls’ half, Nafkha was deemed “the last man” and received a straight red from the experienced referee. This caused a rejig of the imminent substitution with Rai Dos Santos now being brought on for Barlow and attacking down the right flank where, in his short stint, he twice showed glimpses of what he is capable.

Despite being a man short, Bulls continued to press forward and with four minutes to go Lester was put clear only to “over club” his attempted lob over Cunningham.

A minute later saw the match defining moment when some Solomon sorcery from another free kick on the edge of box had him score the winner and send those back in Jersey watching the streaming service go delirious. Already it is on the short list for the goal of the season, leaving Ash with a sense of déjà vu as they lost 2-3 for the third consecutive match as the Bulls move up to second in the table behind Westside on goal difference.

Ash United (2) 2; Jersey Bulls (1) 3
(Cameron Bradbury (2) 32 & 44; Arthur Illingworth 2, Sol Solomon (2) 64 & 87)

Attendance - 132

Programme – 28 pages, £1 (A5, full colour) – a credit to editor Steve Cottingham

Ash United – Jamie Cunningham, Emeka Nwaubani, Stanley Chilton, Shah Jangeer-Khan, Jordan Devanney, Josh Kipping (c ), Luke Cairns, Ben Wyatt, Cameron Bradbury, James Barnett, Cameron Rowthorn
Substitutes – Abdul Samad (not used), Cameron Robertson (for Jangeer-Khan 82), Ryan Green (not used), Joseph Stocchetti (for Barnett 72), Neil Hardy (for Cairns 57)

Sam Wilson (Manager), Stan Staines (Physio.)

Dark Green Shirts & Shorts with Red Socks; GK All Orange

Jersey Bulls – Bradley Rolland, Jonny Le Quesne, Jay Giles, James Queree (c), Luke Campbell, Kamen Nafkha, Kieran Lester, Adam Trotter, Arthur Illingworth, Fraser Barlow, Sol Solomon
Substitutes – Rai Dos Santos (for Barlow 77), Sean Lambert (for Trotter 82), Kevan Nelson (not used) (only three substitutes)

Gary Freeman (Manager), Kevan Nelson (Assistant), Jason Carpenter (Physio.)

Red/White/White; GK All Yellow

Referee – David Crick (Ewell, Surrey) The Referees Association representative on the F.A. Council, now in his 50^thseason. Seven seasons (1997-98 to 2003-04) on the Football League list and an international assistant referee

Assistants – Scott Crowhurst (Guildford, Surrey) in his 14^th season as a referee, a late replacement on the line, currently serving as a lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps, involved in his first Bulls’ match and Kevin Leggett (Crondall, Hampshire) like Crick marking a significant landmark in his officiating career, now in his 40^th season he was also on the line at Springfield last season for the Bulls’ meeting with Fleet Spurs in the Premier League Cup

Cautions – Kieran Lester (Jersey Bulls) 16, Cameron Bradbury (Ash United) 43, Cameron Rowthorn (Ash United) 45+3, Josh Kipping (Ash United) 79, Cameron Robertson (Ash United) 90+1 – a trio of Ash United Camerons going in the book

Dismissal – Kamen Nafkha (Jersey Bulls) 76 – straight red

Corners – Ash United (0) 0; Jersey Bulls (2) 8

Man of the Match Award (Online Voting) – Sol Solomon 58, Jonny Le Quesne 5, Arthur Illingworth 4