This was the first ever meeting between the two clubs after Jersey Bulls won promotion last season from the Combined Counties Premier Division and a new experience for their team, made up from player’s who either live or work on the island and a real commitment from the player’s, management and supporters to give up so much of their time to follow their team and play at this level of football.

We all have a moan from time to time about the travelling to away games i.e., 4-hour round trip to Margate, but an evening midweek away match for these Jersey player’s meant, flying off the island to London Gatwick at 14.25 on Monday and not returning until 8.05 am Tuesday morning and that doesn’t include travelling to and from the airport.

The visitor’s started well and had the first shot on target after 20 minutes when Rai Dos Santos advanced down the left, cut inside the penalty area and struck a left foot shot which was saved by Heath goalkeeper Alfie Hadfield, the ball was recycled back to James Sunley who fired a right foot shot from distance straight at Hadfield, the wet ball came off the keeper’s chest into the path of Lorne Bickley who poked it just wide of the post.

Despite ‘The Bulls’ good start to the game it was ‘The Bears’ who had the ball in the back of the net first on 26 minutes when a Charlie Gibson corner from the right was played into the 6 yard box and headed home by Brad Peters at the near post but the Match Referee claimed an off the ball infringement had occurred on Jersey goalkeeper Euan Van Der Vilet and the goal was denied.

The pendulum had now swung the other way with Heath creating some good chances but not really troubling Van Der Vilet until the 34th minute when a misplaced pass from Adam Trotter giving the ball straight to Zac Young just inside the centre circle who looked up, spotted Van Der Vilet way off his line and hit a left foot chip from 35 yards that sailed over the stranded goal keeper into the net for Young’s 14th goal of the season.

Minutes before the interval a Gibson free kick wide on the left was floated into the penalty area to Young who rose above the Jersey defenders to power a header narrowly over the crossbar onto the roof of the net and it remained 1-0 at the break.

The Bears started the second half well and extended their lead on 57 minutes when Trotter brought down Louis Evans in the penalty area and Young stepped up to convert the spot kick sending Van Der Vilet the wrong way.

The game continued to flow from end to end but it was the visitor’s who reduced the deficit on 70 minutes when Luke Staight was judged to have brought down Rai Do Santos inside the penalty area and Bulls skipper James Queree stepped up to score.

That goal inspired the visitor’s who went on to dominate long periods of the remaining 20 minutes but the Heath defence marshalled by skipper Brad Peters and Lewis Hyde stood firm and held out to win the game by the narrowest of margins.

Team: Hadfield, Staight (Cotton 80), Gibson, Marino (Romain 82), Hyde, Peters, Dowdell, Connell (Wooster 90), Young (Bejashvili 81), Evans, Abudiore (Lawrence 80).