The Jersey Bulls are playoff-bound! A gritty 1-0 victory on the road against Deal Town has officially secured their spot in the Isthmian League South East play-offs, capping a remarkable inaugural season in the eighth tier of English football.

This crucial win guarantees the Bulls at least a fourth-place finish and extends their sensational unbeaten run in 2026 to 17 matches. The islanders had to weather an early storm, with Jamie Watling making a heroic goal-line clearance in the seventh minute to deny Deal's Ben Chapman.

Just three minutes later, the Bulls struck. A slick piece of build-up play found Jay Giles, who slipped a perfect pass to the prolific Lorne Bickley. Bickley calmly rounded the goalkeeper and slotted home for his 23rd goal of the campaign, proving once again why he's a constant threat in the final third.

The first half was a thrilling, end-to-end affair. Bulls' Rai Dos Santos saw another effort cleared off the line, while Deal's Ash Miller squandered a golden chance to equalize. Dos Santos remained a menace, forcing a sharp save from Deal keeper James Tonkin.

As Deal pushed for a second-half equalizer, Bulls' goalkeeper Euan van der Vliet stood tall, making a key save to deny Miller again. Tonkin kept his own team in the contest with late stops against Adam Trotter and substitute James Sunley, but the Bulls' defense held firm to seal a massive three points and a ticket to the postseason.