City Fight But Lose to Promotion-chasing Jersey

Published on: 2 Mar, 2025
Updated on: 3 Mar, 2025

Guildford City (0) 0

Jersey Bulls (1) 2

By Barry Underwood

Championship contenders Jersey Bulls claimed another three points on the road at Spectrum yesterday.

Although it was a comfortable victory, Guildford ensured that the visitors had to work hard to take their win.

Jersey couldn’t have had a better start to the game. On three minutes from a corner the ball wasn’t cleared in the box and Harry Curtis turned the ball in from close range.

Off the back of the goal, Jersey settled well and they enjoyed much of the early possession. Jay Giles lobbed over the bar and soon after Luke Watson drove a low ball into a crowded goalmouth, but the ball was cleared.

Guildford grew into the game with good possession themselves, but they struggled to find an end product.

On 31 minutes City were denied a stonewall penalty. A ball was played just behind the Jersey defence and Manny Acheampong sped through to take the ball into the penalty area.

Manny Acheampong being brought down between two Jersey defenders but penalty appeal was waved away.

Two covering defenders launched into challenges, and in the act of shooting Acheampong hit the turf with a considerable bump having been hit with lunging challenges from either side.

The referee was some way behind the incident and ruled there was no foul.

Monty Conway saved well for City at the back post on 35 minutes, and late in the half Ben Drake burst into space but his low cross was intercepted at full stretch by a Jersey defender.

Within minutes of the second-half restart Guildford came close. Another Ben Drake cross was met first time by Jake Brown whose low effort went just wide. Jersey turned the screws for a period and looked dangerous.

Alex Rodway Brown heading towards goal

Ben Gambrah made a superb tackle in the box to avert a goalscoring chance, before on 55 minutes Monty Conway did well to save Fraser Barlow’s hooked effort from ex-England C striker Kurtis Guthrie’s head down.

Conway again saved low down, and minutes later Fraser Barlow played a ball right along the goal line that was cleared.

On 63 minutes Jersey were awarded what was a soft penalty. Fortune was on City’s side and Luke Watson blazed his effort wide.

But just three minutes later City suffered a major setback when a rash challenge by Manny Acheampong, one of City’s consistently liveliest of players, near the half-way line, drew a straight red from the referee.

Guildford were starting to look a little ragged, although a raft of substitutions brought some order. Nonetheless, Jersey scored the second goal they deserved on 68 minutes. A runner beat the line on the right and Luke Campbell was on hand to convert from close range.

Beji Gamrah, who has been one of City’s best players this season

Late in the game from a free-kick, City’s Alex Rodway-Brown headed wide at the back post. With ten minutes remaining Deven Reid-Solanki slid a great ball through to Ben Gambrah whose effort at full stretch was blocked by Euan Van Der Vliet.

Reid-Solanki (on left) jumping to head in the Jersey goalmouth.

In the final moment Reid-Solanki’s shot on the turn was saved low down by Van Der Vliet, but in the
end, it was a deserved victory by the side from the Channel Islands.

Team: Monty Conway, Sam Sesay, Ben Gambrah, Ben Drake, Alex Stingelin (Freddie Robins 68), Joe Atkin (Alex Rodway-Brown 68), Reece Robins, Jaiden Chang-Brown (Deven Reid-Solanki 55), Jake Brown (Darnell Jon-Peter 68), Manny Acheampong, Luca le Page (Kai Zini 53).

Referee: Matt Barrett

Attendance – 128
Listen to Ian Newson Plested’s post-match interview with team manager Carl Taylor here: