Jersey Bulls boost play-off push with Faversham win

Springfield Stadium, Jersey – A 78th-minute strike from Rai Dos Santos settled a tight contest and lifted Jersey Bulls to within a point of the Isthmian League South East play-off places, cementing a 1-0 victory over fellow contenders Faversham Town on Saturday.

The result keeps Elliot Powell’s side in sixth but level on points with fourth-placed Faversham and fifth-placed Sittingbourne, while third-placed Whyteleafe are only one point ahead despite having two or three games in hand. With the campaign entering its decisive phase, the Bulls have now taken seven points from a daunting sequence that included a 0-0 draw at Whyteleafe and a statement 6-1 rout of second-placed AFC Croydon Athletic.

“I’m really happy with the last couple of weeks,” Powell told BBC Radio Jersey. “Three teams all in the top four and we’ve come away with seven points – I think that’s excellent and it sets us up nicely now for a really big run-in. All we wanted to be was in the race and we’ve firmly put ourselves in that now.”

The island club, competing in the eighth tier for the first time after promotion from the Combined Counties League, have stretched their unbeaten streak to eight matches. Powell praised his squad’s tactical maturity, noting a shift from last season’s possession-heavy dominance to a more adaptable, pragmatic approach.

“It’s different to last year; we’re not on the front foot as much, we’re not dominating the ball, and that’s proving successful at the moment so there’s no need to change things,” he explained. “We’re going to have to adapt game by game. That’s what’s most pleasing – they’re adapting to any challenge.”

Dos Santos’ late winner, slammed home from close range after persistent pressure, rewarded a disciplined performance that nullified Faversham’s attacking threats and ensured the Bulls remain firmly in the promotion conversation with the season’s climax approaching.