Margate is tough first test for Bulls

JERSEY Bulls face off against Margate FC in their first league game of the season.
Following their promotion, the Bulls are prepared to make their mark on the Isthmian South East Division, and their first game is definitely a tester.

The Bulls will kick-off at 1pm at Hartsdown Park on the east coast.

Step four side, Margate FC were involved in the play-offs last season and will certainly be confident heading into the fixture. Coach Elliot Powell is looking forward to the challenge: “We’re looking forward to it. We’ve been handed the toughest test we could possibly be handed.”

“Looking through the predictors, they are predicted to finish top of the league, and with them missing out in the play-off semi-final last year it will be a tough test.”

The Bulls have had a lousy pre-season by comparison to Margate. The South-eastern club have played seven friendlies over the last month in the lead-up to Saturday’s fixture, while the Bulls have played two friendlies against lesser opposition, plus a simple outing in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary round last Saturday.

Miguel Carvalho will be hoping to build on his brace against Erith and Belvedere last weekend Picture: DAVID FERGUSON (40776448)

Powell has dismissed any suggestion that the lack of pre-season preparation is a problem: “That’s not an excuse now, we need to go there and be ready for it and try get something from it. We’re going to get punished more than we have been in any of those three games.”

“Any little mistake, any element of our game that is slightly off colour, Margate should be good enough to make us look silly at times.”

As is evident with every Bulls performance, Powell’s men run themselves into the ground and always offer 110%. “We need to make sure that we’re on it, albeit we haven’t played at step four, a lot of our lads have had the quality to play there for a number of years. If we get things right I’m pretty confident we can get something from it.”

“It’s going to be a sort of Herculean effort physically. We are going to be without the ball an awful lot. Luckily it’s the first game of the season, so we can throw absolutely everything at it.”

Elliott Powell is optimistic ahead of their trip to the south-east Picture: SIMON ROE

Powell is an excellent tactician, and he is aware of the challenges they will face at the next level: “It will be a really good physical test for us, a really good technical and tactical test too. But this is exactly the opportunities that we wanted, and why we were so keen to get promoted.”

Heading into the fixture, it will have a different look to the majority of league games played last season. Tougher opposition calls for a slightly altered approach. “It might be a different game plan.” said Powell.

“I think we deployed that sort of similar game plan in a couple of games last year, whether that was Cobham away or Whyteleaf away, so we have got experience of playing slightly differently.”

“Supporters are going to need to get used to that at times this year. It’s not going to be swashbuckling at every opportunity. There won’t be many games like Saturday just gone where we are three-up at half-time. It’s going to be much more of a grind to get results this year.”

The addition of Rai Dos Santos and Adam Trotter, who were absent at the weekend, will offer plenty going forward and Powell is sure that his side can cause trouble: “With players like Rai and Adam returning to the squad, there’s still that opportunity that, if we get chances, we can take them, and I certainly think we can hurt teams.”

Adam Trotter returns to the side ahead of their first game in the Isthmian South East Division Picture: DAVID FERGUSON

“By no means are Margate invincible. They’ve definitely got some frailties that we will hope to exploit and expose.”

After earning a well-deserved promotion at the back-end of last season, the Bulls will be raring to go in step four. Powell thinks that this game is the perfect place to start: “It’s a good litmus test for us, and at the very minimum it will give us momentum if we can go there and get something, and if we’re unsuccessful in that at least it will set the benchmark of where we need to get to ultimately to be competitive.”

Although the return of Dos Santos is a positive, the absence of striker Lorne Bickley following his injury against Erith and Belvedere last weekend could prove a big miss. Bickley’s presence is ideal in games like these due to his abilities as a target man.

Captain James Queree is also absent due to the birth of his daughter this week, which means Jonny Le Quesne will sport the armband for the reds on Saturday afternoon.

Jersey Squad: Adam Trotter, Euan Van Der Vliet, Francis Lekimamati, Fraser Barlow, Jack Lumsden, James Carr, Jay Giles, Joe Kilshaw, Jonny Le Quesne, Luke Campbell, Luke Watson, Miguel Carvalho, Rai Dos Santos, Samuel Sutcliffe, Will Yates

Corbett’s Predicted XI

As the Bulls are facing a tough challenge in their opening game of the season, Powell will likely field a solid and resolute side that will run themselves into the ground.

Starting from the back, I have Euan Van Der Vliet returning in between the sticks.

The absence of James Queree means I have gone with Sammy Sutcliffe alongside Luke Campbell in the centre of defence.

On the left it was a toss-up between James Carr and Jay Giles – this time I have gone with Giles.

Jonny Le Quesne is likely to return, as this weekend’s captain, to the right-back position. The midfield is a tough decision this week, I think Luke Watson will play the deep-lying midfield role.

Despite Lumsden’s MOTM winning performance on the weekend, I think the engine of the now available Adam Trotter is difficult to dismiss in a game of this nature.

I have Kilshaw in the number ten role once again. I think the right-wing sport will be hogged by Carvalho this season as his tricky feet are always dangerous.

In the absence of Lorne Bickley, I think Powell will trust the direct Rai Dos Santos to lead the line, his pace and hunger is hugely effective. Finally, I think Fraser Barlow will play off the left once again.

Margate is tough first test for Bulls

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