Impressive Jersey Bulls win at league leaders

Jersey Bulls have won their past two league games, having drawn their first three matches since promotion

Jersey Bulls came from a goal down to beat Isthmian League South East leaders AFC Croydon Athletic 3-2 and maintain their unbeaten start to the league season.

It was the first time the two sides had faced one another since the London side had knocked Bulls out of the Combined Counties Premier South play-offs in 2024.

Bulls' Rai Dos Santos missed a third-minute chance after Miguel Carvalho had played him in while Richard Afrane-Kesay went close for the hosts soon after.

Croydon - who were unbeaten in six league games going into the encounter - went ahead after 19 minutes when Reece Grant latched onto a quickly-taken free-kick over the Bulls defence and lobbed goalkeeper Euan van der Vliet.

Adam Trotter levelled three minutes after the restart as he blasted in from eight yards after good work by Dos Santos on the edge of the penalty area.

Croydon's Louie Theophanous had a goal ruled out for offside before Lorne Bickley put the Bulls 2-1 up as he converted Dos Santos' 54th-minute cut-back from seven yards.

It got better for the island side eight minutes later when excellent build-up play between Bickley and Carvalho teed up Jonny Le Quesne to blast home from an angle.

Croydon's Kadell Daniel saw an 80th-minute shot whistle past the far post as the hosts tried to get back into the game.

The hosts ensured a nervy finish as they forced a stoppage-time own goal when James Carr's clearance after a goalmouth scramble came off a team-mate and went into his own net.

But the islanders held on for a second successive victory that moves them up to mid-table in the league, having played fewer games than many of their rivals due to their exploits in the FA Cup and FA Trophy.

"We had a really good 25-minute spell, three quick-fire goals and from that point on it was comfortable until the last five minutes or so when they threw everything at us and scored quite a fortuitous own goal," Jersey Bulls manager Elliot Powell told BBC Radio Jersey.

"But we stood firm and we got the three points.

"If we can get something on Tuesday at home against Sittingbourne then it'll have been a great start to the season and puts us right in the play-off mix, which would be a fantastic start, but there's a long, long way to go."