JERSEY Bulls were held to a 1-1 draw by Sittingbourne FC on Tuesday night, with Springfield Stadium’s upgraded floodlights providing the backdrop for a feisty contest between two well-drilled sides.

The Bulls now sit in tenth place as they are one of two sides in the league to remain unbeaten. Manager Elliot Powell is pleased with the start his side have made, stating: “If you’d have offered me ten points from six games in July, I’d have snapped your hand off.”

A strong opposition proved a tough physical challenge for the Bulls Picture: DAVID FERGUSON

Jersey Bulls 1

Bickley 44′

Sittingbourne 1

Ambroisine 45+1′

HT Score: 1-1

Attendance: 713

JEP Player of the Match: James Sunley

Sittingbourne, clad head to toe in yellow, arrived in eighth place and looked to build on last season’s runners-up finish.

For the Bulls, it was a chance to draw level on points with their visitors, and they lined up in a 4-3-3 with Tuesday’s captain Jonny Le Quesne at right-back and the tireless midfield trio of Watson, Trotter and Ritzema.

The visitors started brightly, forcing a corner in the opening minute before their lively number seven headed narrowly over soon after. The Bulls responded with brief spells of possession, though early crosses from both sides failed to trouble either goalkeeper.

After a scrappy opening 20 minutes, the game began to settle. Bulls winger Miguel Carvalho was heavily marshalled, often faced with two defenders whenever he received the ball.

At the other end, Sittingbourne threatened with a long throw and a volleyed effort over the bar, while substitute Luke Woodward headed wide after replacing the injured Jean-Baptiste Fisher.

The breakthrough came in the 43rd minute. Bickley linked cleverly with Trotter, who set the striker with a perfectly weighted reverse pass, allowing Bickley to finish clinically for 1-0.

But just as the Bulls looked set to take a lead into the interval, Sittingbourne struck back. From a succession of corners in first-half stoppage time, Yannis Ambroisine finally converted with a downward header that found its way through a crowded box to level the match.

The second half resumed with Le Quesne replaced by Kilshaw, who slotted in at right-back as Bickley assumed the captaincy.

Sittingbourne again threatened from set-pieces, while Trotter picked up a booking for a midfield challenge. A physical contest saw tempers flare as Sittingbourne’s Derek Asamoah was cautioned for an elbow on Campbell before being substituted moments later.

Carvalho, still the Bulls’ main outlet, thought he had won a dangerous free kick just before the hour, only for the referee to show him a yellow card for simulation, sparking frustration on the home bench.

Powell shuffled his pack, introducing James Sunley and James Carr, and the changes gave the Bulls renewed impetus. Sunley in particular impressed, linking midfield with attack and drawing fouls in dangerous areas.

Soon after, The Bulls thought they had found the breakthrough when Ritzema surged through midfield and exchanged a slick one-two with Sunley.

Bursting to the byline, he cut the ball back for Carvalho to slot home as celebrations ensued. But the joy was short-lived as the officials ruled the ball had crossed the line before the pass, awarding only a goal kick.

Miguel Carvalho and Lorne Bickley were left enraged by the linesman’s decision to disallow the winner PICTURE: DAVID FERGUSON

The closing stages were tense but produced little in the way of clear chances. Ritzema was booked for a cynical challenge before leaving with cramp, while at the death Sunley combined with Adam Trotter and Jay Giles to almost release Bickley, only for the final pass to just evade him.

After eight minutes of added time, the points were shared. A fair result in a match that saw plenty of endeavour but few decisive moments after the break.

Powell thought the draw was a fair result despite the dubious decision to disallow Carvalho’s winner, explaining: “I thought they started with the upper hand, but we definitely ended the half strong. Our goal was a good bit of quality and a good move.”

“1-1 at full time was probably a fair reflection, we feel hard done by with the disallowed goal, we’ve seen it back and for the linesman to say that it’s a yard out of play when it hasn’t even touched the white line is disappointing.” Powell continued in frustration.

The refereeing decisions left the manager particularly animated at times however, the coach remained respectful when discussing the officiating: “It was a really difficult game to referee, both benches are vocal, they [Sittingbourne] even made me look pretty quiet.”

Manager Elliot Powell admitted that the coaching staff for both sides were vocal on Tuesday night making it difficult to officiate PICTURE: DAVID FERGUSON

Powell continued: “There were a couple of incidents, I think they crossed the line on a couple of aerial battles. But we have definitely been on the end of some unfortunate refereeing decisions this season already.”

The JEP Player of the Match, James Sunley, has been reintroduced to the side following a lengthy injury and is beginning to show his quality. Powell is keen for the fans to see what he offers: “People wouldn’t have seen a lot of James last year because of his injury, but he has got the ability to be our player with that X factor.”

“James is probably our most gifted technical player, and people saw that last night. He keeps the ball in tight areas; he’s a bit of a street footballer. He will be key for us as the season goes on, he can unlock a lot of fences.”

Jersey Bulls Squad: Euan Van der Vliet, Jonny Le Quesne (c), Jamie Watling, Adam Trotter, Luke Campbell, Toby Ritzema, Fraser Barlow, Luke Watson, Lorne Bickley, Rai Dos Santos, Miguel Carvalho. Substitutes: James Carr (for Barlow 72), Joe Kilshaw (for Le Quesne 46), Daniel Jinadu (not used), Jay Giles (for Ritzema 89), James Sunley (for Dos Santos 67)

Sittingbourne Squad: Mitchell Beeney, Jaden Crowhurst, Gavin Hoyte, Richard Hamill (c), Yannis Ambroisine, Christopher Arthur, Troy Howard, D’Sean Theobalds, Derek Asamoah, Jean-Baptiste Fischer, Henry Sinai. Substitutes: Jack Steventon (not used), Luke Woodward (for Fischer 31), Ellis Brown (for Crowhurst 67), Michael Salako (for Asamoah 53), Emmanuel Robe (for Howard 74)

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