Report as we exit the FA Cup!

Billericay turned pink and blue as a large contingent of around 170 Dulwich fans piled off the train on Sunday lunchtime and after a few drinks in the excellent Railway pub, made their way to the AGP stadium in anticipation of a cracking 2nd round Women’s FA Cup fixture. Hopes were high due to the fact that not many fans could remember the last time Dulwich had lost a game.

Dulwich fans cheered the team onto the pitch as they came out of the tunnel and headed to the back of the goal ready to cheer their team on for 90 minutes.

Play shortly got underway and Dulwich held up well to a team two leagues above us and was pretty deadlocked until the 18th minute when Summer Roberts had a chance from just outside the penalty area to score but it was comfortably saved by the keeper.

Almost immediately, Lily Price nearly had a chance when her effort on-goal nearly went in but hit the post and five minutes later she tried her luck from a free-kick but her effort was saved.

On the 34th minute Dulwich were awarded a free kick for a handball that was clearly in the area. After protests from both players and fans, the referee consulted with the linesman who judged it to be in the penalty area and a penalty was duly awarded.

Brit Saylor stepped up and calmly slotted it into the right-hand corner and Dulwich took the lead and the fans went wild.

Super charged Dulwich had another couple of chances before half time when a precision free kick from Lilly Price found Brit Saylor who came close to putting it in the back of the net, followed by an excellent shot by Phoebe Read being expertly saved by Billericay’s keeper.

The halftime whistle went and Dulwich headed back to the changing rooms brimming with confidence and a 1-0 lead over their National League opponents.

Billericay came out in the second half with a confidence they did not show in the first half and were quick to equalise on the 50th minute as Soraya Walsh shot from the inside edge of the penalty area and put the ball past Saskia Reeves-Priestley.

Ryan Dempsey responded to Billericay’s renewed enthusiasm by swapping Luna Alves Etienne for Angel Reid in order to bring on a fresh pair of legs.

Shortly after, a brilliant cross was put into the penalty area and found Asia Harbour Brown who headed her effort from close range, only for it to land in the hands of the keeper which was followed by the second substitution of the game when Ceylon Hickman came on for Morgan Searle.

With time running out and the prospect of extra time loomed ever more, Billericay would likely have taken the lead if it we not for Jodie Lodge running back and putting in a well-timed tackle on Maddie Biggs to prevent her scoring.

Maddie Biggs however got her goal in the 90th minute scoreing Billericay’s second goal of the game when she slotted in from the right-hand side of the goal.

Dulwich’s FA Cup dreams were over for another season in the same round we were knocked out in last season but no one can say the entire team did not put everything they had into it.

Billericay went on to draw and lose to London City Lionesses from the Women’s Championship, the second tier of English Women’s football.