“IT’S a nice feeling to have finally sealed our play-off spot.”
Those were the words of Jersey Bulls captain James Querée after his side breezed past Horley Town 3-0 at Springfield on Tuesday night.
“It was a good all-round performance,” said the skipper.
“We have found some form just at the right time and we feel in a good rhythm as a side.
“It’s good to have mathematically made our play-off objective and I feel we are well deserving of it.”
Star marksman Lorne Bickley scored yet another brace, both coming within the first 13 minutes. He has now passed 30 goals this season in all competitions, 27 of them in the league.
Bulls defender Luke Campbell said: “I thought we played a great game, especially in the first half.
“We created chances and maybe should have gone into half-time with a third goal, but that’s just me being picky!
“The second half was scrappy at times, but getting that early third goal from Jonny [Le Quesne] definitely helped us see it out.”
The win was their third by 3-0 in their last four games. The Bulls are now five games unbeaten, winning four of them and having not conceded a goal in those five games.
Gary Freeman’s side have consequently leaped up into second place in the Combined Counties Premier Division South, ahead of Knaphill with just two games remaining.
Both the Bulls and Knaphill are now level on 36 games played each, with Querée and his teammates just a point ahead at this stage.
Captain Querée continued: “This is not a time to take our foot off the gas though. That second place is still massively important to us.”
A third-place league finish would secure a home play-off semi-final.
However, a second-place finish would mean both a home semi-final and, if they were to get there, a home final at Springfield as well.
Campbell said: “There is still an awful lot of work to be done.
“We have two final games to win and secure that second place in the league, that’s what we’re focused on just now.”
Campbell and Querée have moulded into a firm defensive partnership over the years and, with play-offs now looming, the pair share the same sentiments about the weeks to come.
“If we do manage to progress through the semi-final, a home final would be absolutely amazing,” Querée concluded.
“We’ve had a tough but brilliant season and are really building some momentum coming into the home straight.
“Our fans have been with us every step of the way and rewarding them with an occasion like that would mean a lot.
“Having a home crowd for such a big match would spur us players on so much and we want to create history.”
