The Rebels enter the world’s oldest and most prestigious cup competition this weekend, and the storyline couldn’t be more fitting with the fairytale nature of the annual tournament.
Opponents Jersey are vying to equal their best ever performance in the FA Cup by reaching the third qualifying round, but have to overcome the highest ranked team they have faced in their history to do so.
Meanwhile, the travelling Reds will be hoping to quash any hopes of an upset to ensure they are not prematurely eliminated.
Chris Agutter’s side will be in a confident mood heading into the tie, having picked up seven points from their last three games, scoring 10 goals in the process.
Last weekend, a statement victory was enacted in East London, as Worthing thrashed Dagenham & Redbridge 5-2 at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
Razzaq Coleman De-Graft swept home a scintillating free-kick, while Temi Babalola’s performance earned him a spot in the National League South Team of the Week.
FORM
Jersey Bulls FC
Form: WWDDW
Last Three
League: Mertsham (A) | D 2-2 | Scorers: James Queree x2
FA Cup: Burnham (A) | W 3-0 | Scorers: Jack Lumsden, Rai Dos Santos and Miguel Carvalho
FA Trophy: Hastings United (H) | W 3-1 | Scorers: Fraser Barlow, James Queree and Lorne Bickley
THE OPPOSITION
Tomorrow’s cup tie has been fabled as Jersey’s biggest game in their short history.
The Bulls were formed just seven years ago in 2018 and were initially placed in the Combined Counties Premier South, the ninth tier of English football, after being granted a spot by the FA.
Jersey Bulls won promotion into the eighth tier for the first time last season, by edging out Cobham 2-1 in their play-off final.
It was almost a catastrophic turn of events, as the islanders had topped the table come the end of the season, but a three-point deduction for fielding a suspended player dropped them into second place, forcing them into the play-offs.
However, they persevered through the adversity to earn their spot in the Isthmian League South East Division.
Elliot Powell’s outfit are yet to taste defeat this season, as they have drawn all three of their league matches, progressed through to this stage of the FA Cup by beating Burnham FC, Fisher FC and Erith and Belvedere, and knocked Hastings United out of the FA Trophy last weekend with a 3-1 home victory.
THE GAFFER
Jersey manager Elliot Powell masterminded a groundbreaking promotion for the Bulls in his first full season in charge. Alongside an invincible away record, Jersey netted an astounding 103 goals in just 38 games while only conceding 22 times.
Despite his predecessor also finishing second the previous season, Powell oversaw a vast improvement. Prior to their points deduction, they were 17 points better off last term compared to the 2023/24 campaign.
Jersey Bulls is his third managerial role on the island having previously occupied the dugout at St Peter’s Football Club and St John’s Football Club.
Powell is also the Head of Sport and Programmes at Jersey Sport.
ONE TO WATCH
Central defender James Queree is Jersey’s top scorer so far this season, with four goals already to his name.
The 35-year-old is the Bulls’ designated penalty taker and club captain. With the armband firmly equipped, the stalwart guided his side to promotion last season through the play-offs.
As a youngster, Queree was involved with AFC Bournemouth’s academy before moving to America. While in the States, the Jersey skipper appeared for Xavier Musketeers, Baton Rouge Capitals and Cincy Saints.
VIEW FROM CAMP – Chris Agutter
“We’ve had a decent couple of sessions on the training pitch this week. We’ve watched Jersey and just tried to prepare accordingly – identify their strengths and how to negate that and also identify their weaknesses and work out how to exploit them.
“There should be zero room for complacency. Jersey are a good, dynamic team that are strong on the counter-attack. We know they’re going to be a threat and hard to beat, but it’s a challenge we’re prepared for.”
HOW TO FOLLOW
If you can’t be at the game, you can follow the game via live updates from the club’s official Twitter account.
You can also listen to live commentary via the club’s official commentary service.
