24-05-2025
Euan Van Der Vliet the hero as Jersey Bulls reach play-off final following dramatic penalty shootout
Jersey Bulls are into the Combined Counties League Premier South play-off final after a stunning performance from goalkeeper Euan Van der Vliet.
The Bulls were locked at 1-1 with Fleet Town after 90 tense minutes at Springfield, but Van Der Vliet saved all of the visitors' penalties in the shootout to send his team into the final.
His teammates were penalty perfect too, with Paul McKay, Kurtis Guthrie, and Francis Lekimamati all converting from 12 yards to give Bulls a comprehensive 3-0 win on penalties.
Speaking about his heroics, Van Der Vliet, said: "I'm buzzing! Just to get over the line and get to the final is the main thing - we've been through a lot in the last few weeks.
"I'm always quite confident on penalties because the pressure is always on the taker.
"I don't think I've ever saved three in a row! Once I saved the first one, it put more pressure on the second one, and the third one was amazing."
Elliot Powell's side, unsurprisingly, weren't at their usual fluent best having not played for more than a month.
An own goal had given them the lead early in the second half, but Fleet found a leveller three minutes from time, taking the game to penalties.
Elliot Powell said: "I turned to my assistants and said it's been a pretty traumatic end to the season, so why not top it off with a penalty defeat - that was the pessimist in me, but there's no better way of winning it than on penalties."
Jersey Bulls thought they had won promotion from the Combined Counties League, but ended up receiving a three-point deduction for fielding an ineligible player earlier this season.
Reflecting on a topsy-turvy few weeks, Powell pulled no punches about the saga: "The whole situation is a shambles. The system isn't fit for purpose, there's a systematic breakdown at the FA's end, and there's no accountability from them, so the whole thing is a shambles and a lot of people need to have a look at themselves."
Bulls will now face Cobham FC in the final next week, with the date and time still to be confirmed.
