Jersey Bulls make play-off final after penalty shootout
Goalkeeper Euan van der Vliet (right) and Francis Lekimamati, who scored Jersey's winning penalty, celebrate making the final
- Published
Euan van der Vliet saved three penalties as Jersey Bulls beat Fleet Town 3-0 in a shootout to reach the Combined Counties League Premier South play-off final.
The two sides finished level at 1-1 after 90 minutes at Springfield and Jersey will face Cobham in St Helier next week after they beat Redhill 3-2 on penalties following a 0-0 draw over 90 minutes.
The win kept Bulls' hopes of promotion alive after they were denied the league title after being docked three points for fielding an ineligible player - which meant they dropped from the top of the table.
The islanders have gone further than last season when they were beaten at the semi-final stage of the play-offs by AFC Croydon Athletic having finished second in the league.
Euan van der Vliet saved all three penalties Fleet Town's players took in the shootout
Paul McKay, Kurtis Guthrie and Francis Lekimamati all scored from the spot as Van der Vliet was unbeatable from 12 yards.
The game should not have gone to a shootout but the hosts failed to take their chances, especially during the first half as Lorne Bickley, Miguel Carvalho and Fraser Barlow all went close.
Bulls finally took the lead 13 minutes into the second half when Ross Stepney turned into his own net after good work by Fraser Barlow.
But Fleet upped the pressure as Bulls tried to consolidate their lead and were rewarded when Tom Smith levelled in the 88th minute to send the fixture into a shootout.
"I'm a pessimist, so I thought 'well, we've had the worst ending ever to a season, we might as well top it off with a penalty defeat',” Jersey Bulls manager Elliott Powell told BBC Radio Jersey.
"But when you've got people like Euan and a personality like Euan, he's made for those moments and I think you saw that he absolutely lapped it up.
"I'm delighted for Euan and delighted for the whole team.
"It's nice to be on the right side of a bit of luck for the first time in what feels like a couple of months."