Jersey Bulls close in on play-off place after 2-0 Tooting and Mitcham win

Lorne Bickley has scored 28 goals in 36 appearances for Jersey Bulls this season

Jersey Bulls all but secured a place in the Combined Counties Premier South play-offs after a 2-0 win away at Tooting and Mitcham United.

Bulls goalkeeper Piers Roche made some good saves to keep the first half scoreless as Adam Trotter went close.

Bulls stepped up after the break as top scorer Lorne Bickley curled a superb 67th-minute effort into the top corner.

Miguel Carvalho sealed the win with composed finish from a tight angle in the second minute of stoppage time.

The win means third-placed Bulls would have to lose their final three games of the season and hope other results go against them to miss out on the play-offs.

"It was a tough afternoon and the half time message was we have to be patient, stay in the game, don't give nothing away and relying on our our play like we're going to do something," Bulls manager Gary Freeman told BBC Radio Jersey.

"Lorne's done something fantastic there, to get the ball where he did, I was screaming to pass it and he's had the shot and bent one in the top corner - it's a brilliant goal."

Freeman says it is important that his side keeps up their good form as they aim to get promotion via the play-offs.

"The message before the game was how we want to go into these play offs?" he said.

"Do we want to fall into them and finish third, fourth, fifth and just get in there, or do we want to go and make a bit of a statement.

"We just want to keep winning these games. Knaphill are second at the moment, that's our target.

"We're not looking behind us and who might catch us, it's more can we catch them?

"That's the mentality we've got to take into these games and go into the play-offs on the front foot and hopefully I think the players are feeling confident at the minute and we can build on that."