New opponents this season, Abbey Rangers, have already been visited twice, both in the league and in the Suburban League Cup, but this was their first visit to Springfield. They are based in Chertsey and have been transferred from the North section.

Abbey Rangers were established as an U16 boys club in 1976 and named after the nearby Benedictine Abbey, the initial burial place of Henry VI.

Having firstly played locally, they joined the Surrey and Hampshire Border League, which they won in 2005 and were runners-up in 2006. They transferred to the Guildford and Woking Alliance and were champions at their first attempt, earning promotion to the Premier Division where they finished runners-up.

This gained them promotion to the Surrey Intermediate League, which they also won, bringing them promotion to the Premier Division in which they finished second in 2011. Another transfer of allegiance saw them join the Surrey Elite League where they remained for four seasons until a fourth-place finish resulted in promotion to Combined Counties Division 1.

Third place in their first season saw yet another promotion. Two seasons of consolidation in the Premier Division followed before finishing third in 2019. After the two abandoned seasons they were placed in the Northern section last season where they ended up fourth before being moved to the South section this year.

They first played in the F.A. Vase in 2015-16 reaching the third round (last 64) in both 2017 and last season when they lost out on “penalties” to Athletic Newham. In the latter run they disposed of Fareham Town, Jersey’s conquerors, 5-3 at Fareham. However, their best season was 2019 when six victories took them to the last 16.

The following season saw their best F.A. Cup run when four wins saw them match Jersey’s achievement of last year in reaching the Third Qualifying Round.

They started this season slowly, not helped by some difficult early fixtures. After losing at home in the F.A. Cup to Hanworth Villa, they lost four of their first six league matches. Since suffering their only home league defeat, to Jersey, in late August which left them in eleventh place, they have won all but two of their matches. Egham put them out of the F.A. Vase and Redhill beat them in the league but thirteen league wins in fourteen matches now sees them in first place with a record of 15-0-5 54-26.

Only five of the squad of 16 that met Jersey in August were still in their last line-up on Monday when they won by the only goal of the game against Guildford City. One of their new signings is 13 goal Ross Murdoch from Frimley Green, who has joined the divisions leading scorer, Charlie Postance, up front.

Jersey made three changes to their team for their last match v Alton three weeks ago. Euan Van der Vliet, Ben Le Rougetel and Francis Lekimamati, all on the bench for Alton, started instead of Pierce Roche, Joe Kilshaw and Adam Trotter. The latter having gone down with ‘flu on the morning of the match. Kilshaw was a substitute along with Jack Steel and Sammy Henia-Kamau, who both “retained” their places there. Richard Hebert was there too, as emergency ‘keeper cover, as well as Kamen Nafkha in the squad for the first time since late October.

On a showery day (12C), with a strong wind (F5) from the South-West, Abbey Rangers kicked-off attacking the Robin Hood End forty-five minutes due to the late arrival of their flight. The rain returned for the last half hour of the match, blown strongly towards the Robin Hood End.

In the first twenty minutes James Queree on the right and Lorne Bickley on the left, fed by Jonny Le Quesne and Miguel Carvalho respectively, had shots saved as Jersey looked for a way through the well organised Abbey Rangers defence

Midway through the half the visitors snatched the lead when Jae Kelly got away on the right and put in a cross which eluded Sammy Sutcliffe. Jack Carrod successfully gambled to beat Queree to the bouncing ball and poked.home from six yards.

Postance, well marshalled by Luke Campbell, had his only half chance just before the half hour but flashed his header from twelve yards just wide of the left post.

In added time a Jay Giles forty yard free-kick from the dug outs sideline was flicked on to Sutcliffe left of centre. He chest trapped it well but fell off the shot as it dropped and so dragged the ball wide of the left post.

Jersey went in behind despite having the better chances but they had not been clinical enough in front of goal whereas Abbey Rangers “game plan”, led by their diminuitive “terrier”, George Chandler, had been to slow the match down.

Jersey came out “firing” with three half chances in the opening five minutes of the second half. A defender threw himself in front of a Bickley shot before crosses from Francis Lekimamati on the right saw Jake Prince and then Bickley put shots just wide of the right post. A Prince twenty yarder then saw Sam Gray in the Abbey goal at full stretch and he recovered well to block Bickley’s follow up.

The equaliser came on the hour after Carvalho was fouled twenty-five yards out. Lekimamati curled the resultant centrally placed free-kick into the top left corner.

A defensive slip by Sutcliffe let in Postance for only their third shot on target but it was not well struck and Euan Van der Vliet saved comfortably. Postance was replaced by Daryl Cooper-Smith with six minutes left and the newly introduced substitute fluffed an opportunity a couple of minutes later when he appeared to slip when attempting to volley home a cross after Queree had missed a Chandler ball forward.

The constant delaying tactics led to a total of nearly twelve minutes being added
in total to both halves but the visitors saw them out to end the happier team.

Jersey Bulls 1 (Francis Lekimamati 60)
Abbey Rangers 1 (Jack Carrod 23)

Attendance – 644

Programme – 24pp £2

Jersey Bulls – Euan Van der Vliet, James Queree (c), Jay Giles, Sammy Sutcliffe, Luke Campbell, Ben Le Rougetel, Francis Lekimamati, Jonny Le Quesne, Lorne Bickley (wore 16), Miguel Carvalho, Jake Prince
Substitutes – 12. Jack Steel (not used), 14. Joe Kilshaw (not used), 17. Sammy Henia-Kamau (for Carvalho 81), 18. Kamen Nafkha (not used), 21. Richard Hebert (sub GK) (not used).

Red/White/Red; GK All Yellow

Gary Freeman (Manager), Kevan Nelson (Assistant), Dan Seviour (Coach), Richard Hebert (GK Coach), Steve Martin (Physio.)

Abbey Rangers (squad numbers) – 1. Sam Gray, 2. Tommy O’Neill, 5. Rob Hendry, 6. George Chandler, 8. Robbie Kersley, 9. Charlie Postance, 12. Jae Kelly, 15. Jack Watts (c), 16. Jack Carrod, 18. Archie Harris, 19. Ferrell Danso
Substitutes – 3. Fred Hill (for Hendry 61), 4 Pat Kirby (vc) (for Watts 77), 10 Daryl Cooper-Smith (for Postance 84), 11. Luke Robertson (for Kelly 84), 17. Ross Murdoch (for Danso 56)

Wide Black & White Stripes (White Back)/Black/Black; GK All Light Green

Micky Woolgar & Paul Johnson (Joint Managers), Alex Lumley (Coach), Natacha Haman (Physio.), Luke Dunn (Squad Member)

Formations
Jersey Bulls (4-1-4-1 R to L) 1; 2-4-5-3; 6; 7-8-10-11; 16
Abbey Rangers (4-4-2 R to L) 1; 2-18-16-5; 12-15-16-8; 9-19

Referee – Ayodele “Dele” Sotimirin (Brixton) referee last season at Beckenham Town and at home against Sheerwater as well as the pre-season friendly against Kettering Town. A 45-year-old of Nigerian descent who was with the Combined Counties League before progressing to become an assistant referee in the Conference League. Preferring the greater involvement of being in “the middle” he returned to the Combined Counties League five seasons ago.

Assistants – Krandeep Grewal (Southall) on the dug-out side, was on the line for our League Cup tie at Brook House earlier this season. A Sikh who progressed through the Amateur Football Combination and Middlesex Leagues and is now in his third season with the Combined Counties League. Jake Symes (Putney) on the grandstand side for his first Jersey match. Like his colleague he progressed through the Amateur Football Combination and Middlesex Leagues and is also now in his third season with the Combined Counties League.

Cautions – Lorne Bickley (JB) 9, Rob Hendry (AR) 45+3, Jae Kelly (AR) 64, Jake Prince (JB) 76

Corners – Jersey Bulls (1) 4, Abbey Rangers (3) 3

Player of the Match Award – Francis Lekimamati