THIS WEEKEND’S MATCH PREVIEW – BILLERICAY TOWN (AWAY) KO 3.00 PM

It’s been a long wait but five months into the season Dulwich Hamlet finally face the Blues when they travel to the New Lodge.

It’s been a season of ups and downs for the Essex club. Off the field a protracted takeover deal has seen the arrival of former Barking & Barkingside player, millionaire magnate Glenn Tamplin, a classic Essex boy made good. With it came a much-appreciated investment of fresh blood into a team that seemed to have stagnated into mid-table Ryman League also-rans after last season’s playoff crumbled in the latter stages of the campaign.

On the field things did not begin well with four defeats in the opening five games leaving the Blues languishing in the bottom four. A revival was sparked by a narrow win at Brightlingsea Regent in the First Qualifying Round of the Emirates FA Cup, Quentin Monville’s double ensuring there was to be no giantkilling after Regent had taken a 20th minute lead from the penalty spot. Having squeezed through that hurdle, Billericay Town proceeded to rattle off a further seven straight victories. Four of those came in the Ryman League Premier Division starting with a fractious 4-2 win at home to Leatherhead. Again, the Blues had to come from behind but Goldy Capela’s brace proved key, even after the dismissal of Conor Hubble just as the Tanners were threatening a fightback. Junior Luke’s pair in the first half hour at AFC Sudbury seemed to have set Craig Edwards’ side up for a comfortable win but by the break it was all square only for Kreshnic Krasniqi to grab a late winner. Krasniqi was on target the following Saturday though it was a less stressful affair for the fans as the Blues strolled to a 3-0 win over Worthing at the New Lodge before Greg Cundle’s early goal settled a tight affair at home to Folkestone Invicta. From the relegation zone at the end of August, Billericay had climbed the mountain to find themselves 5th and in a playoff place!

Meanwhile in the knockout competitions, and most importantly the FA Cup, the momentum was building. Facing Bognor Regis Town at the New Lodge, ‘Ricay trailed at the interval after James Crane found the net but the visitors were rocked when Alex Stephenson and Edvardos Gaurilovas turned the game on its head. The draw brought Southern League Premier side Chippenham Town to the New Lodge and once more the fans were treated to rollicking, roller-coaster of a game. Cundle gave the Blues a 10th minute lead. Ten minutes later the chips seemed down for the visitors as a crude challenge left them with ten men. However Chippenham barely seemed effected, more so they rallied Mark Preece and David Platt (not that one!) had the Wiltshire 2-1 up by the hour mark. The industrious Cundle levelled with 10 minutes remaining and in the final seconds Capela sent the crowd into ecstasy as he touched home a last gasp winner. A brief interlude saw the Alan Turvey Trophy intercede and an end to the winning run in the unique surroundings of Tilbury’s Chadfields ground. Technically an end as Billericay advance after winning a penalty shootout 4-2 following a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes.

Billericay must have sniffed an upset when the draw sent them to struggling National League Maidstone United. First there was the matter of a Ryman League trip to Harrow Borough and there the winning run would be curtailed after the game finished in a scoreless stalemate. On to the Gallagher Stadium, and with Blues fans travelling in numbers, Edwards’ men put on a fine show but it was not enough. Alex Flisher proved the bête noire with goals either side of halftime, Tom Murphy adding a third with a stunning overhead kick. Ricky Sappleton did give the travellers something to cheer with a penalty but dreams of reaching the competition proper for the first time since 2007/08 when they narrowly lost 2-1 at home to Swansea City had evaporated.

Defeat did not kill the momentum in the league. Though the FA Cup had seen the Blues slip back down to 12th spot, they were soon back in the playoff spots as the unbeaten league run extended to nine games, Billericay also made a winning start in the Buildbase FA Trophy beating Ryman North pacesetters Maldon & Tiptree 2-0 at home, thanks to a Sappleton double. However any thoughts of a Trophy run came crashing down to earth in flames as they were crushed under the well-oiled wheels of the Havant & Waterlooville juggernaut, Jason Prior firing the Hawks to a 5-0 victory with a second half hat trick, two of them from the penalty spot. As if that wasn’t bad enough the Ryman League computer saw them entertain the Hawks at the New Lodge just 3 days later. Once more it was Prior the executioner, the striker converting a further two penalties as the Blues went down 2-0.

The Blues seemed to slip into a malaise as the off-field machinations of the Tamplin takeover bid cranked into gear. A trip to Harlow brought a 1-1 draw, not a bad result give the Hawks’ excellent home record, but presage for a below par run of results that would see Billericay slip off the pace and back into the pack. Perhaps the new signings took time to settle with a raft of new faces on show, too many to mention. Pride of place perhaps to local legend striker Billy Bricknell who had plied his trade at the likes of Ebbsfleet, Dover Athletic and Chelmsford City since setting the New Lodge on fire at the start of his career. Bricknell gave an instant reminder of his prowess in front of goal scoring in each of his first three games, but could not help his side to win the fans craved. From that Harlow draw to a defeat at home to Kingstonian, the Blues garnered just 2 points from a possible 21 as they were dragged back into the midtable morass.

Cups brought some relief during that barren spell with Brightlingsea Regent the victims on both occasions. In the Essex Senior Cup Michael Bakare double made sure of victory and a quarter final at home to Tilbury. Meanwhile Bricknell’s brace ensured a quarter final trip to the south coast to face Worthing. It was not until the time of the festive frolics that the Blues found that winning touch again. Boxing Day took Billericay over the creek to Canvey, goals from Bakare and one Dipo Akinyemi securing victory despite Steve Sheehan’s later consolation. The New Year’s Eve game at home to highflying Needham Market, switched to the Friday night saw fans frustrated as the New Lodge was wrapped in a stubborn shroud of fog that refused to budge but on the Monday afternoon the Blues were lifted once more as late, late, very late indeed goals from Capela and Bricknell snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as Tonbridge Angels’ own promotion ambitions.

Yet as the decorations came down so Billericay’s brief renaissance hit the skids. Lewis Taaffe, another incomer, scored his maiden goal 7 minutes from time at top of the table Bognor Regis Town. Seconds remained when Capela had a goal disallowed and four minutes later the Rocks gained a fortuitous penalty when a shot struck a defender’s hand. James Fraser kept his cool to dispatch the spot kick, leaving the Blues to wonder why Dame Fortune had dealt them such a cruel hand. Town were knocked out of the BBC Essex Senior Cup by Tilbury in midweek, missing out on a big semi away to East Thurrock United as the Dockers avenged that penalty shoot-out win earlier in the season. In the wake of that the Blues faced another difficult trip as they travelled up to Leiston. Things began well as Christian Assombalonga, newly signed from Dagenham and Redbridge, took just 5 minutes of his debut to find the net but that just proved the red rage to the Suffolk bull as freescoring Leiston went to Town. Matt Blake dispatched the leveller 12 minutes later, popped in number 2 on 66 minutes. Niko Muir-Merchant scored his 5th goal in six games since making the switch from Hendon with Oliver Brown putting the tin hat on proceedings as he made it 4-1 with 2 minutes left. Another quick start from Billericay in midweek away to the Met Police, Abayomi Seymour scoring within 60 seconds at Imber Court. However the Blues would be pegged back just before the break as Roman Michael-Percil hammered home a penalty, the 1-1 draw leaving Billericay 14th 11 points from the playoff places but with the relegation places ominously just 8 points away.

This afternoon’s game kicks off at 3.00 pm at The New Lodge, Blunts Wall Road, Billericay, Essex CM12 9SA. Directions to the ground can be found on the Billericay Town website by clicking here

2016/2017 Admission prices to New Lodge are:

• Adults £10.00
• Concessions (Over 65's and Student card holders) £7.00
• Under 18s £3