Jersey Bulls draw 1-1 with Balham as Tranmere youngster Alex Brown joins on loan

Tranmere Rovers academy goalkeeper Alex Brown has joined on loan after Pierce Roche was suspended

Jersey Bulls gave a debut to on loan Tranmere Rovers goalkeeper Alex Brown as they drew 1-1 with Balham in Combined Counties Premier South.

Teenager Brown was brought over with Euan van der Vliet and Robbie Scott injured while Pierce Roche was suspended after a red card last week.

Top scorer Lorne Bickley put Bulls ahead after 33 minutes as he rounded the keeper after Fraser Barlow's pass.

Brown was beaten 10 minutes later after a good finish from Piers Oldland.

James Carr had a shot saved by Balham's goalkeeper shortly after the start of the second half as Bulls' winless run goes on to five league games stretching back to 9 December.

It leaves Bulls in fourth place in the tab.,e but the gap to the sides above them has increased - they are now four points off third-placed Abbey Rangers, eight behind second-placed Knaphill and 16 off leaders Farnham Town.

"Luckily we've got a few contacts at Tranmere, their academies have been over and we asked them if there was any possibility that they had a keeper," Freeman said of Brown's involvement.

"Fair play to Alex, he's stepped up, come on over and thankfully got us out of a little hole and did very well with a great save in the second half.

"It's a very short term thing. Pierce will be back here on Tuesday, it was just a one-game ban, and hopefully before long Euan will be back as well.

"It was a bit of a stop gap, I think that'll be his one appearance."