HORNCHURCH 0 BILLERICAY 3

Leon Antoine, who has previously played for Canvey Island, came into the starting line up, and Michael Ramkin, who played twice in 2006 (debut at Northwood and home debut against Wimbledon), before playing for Thurrock, Leyton, Aveley and more recently Waltham Forest, came into the squad. John Purdie was out with the injury he received at Bognor last week, and Ronnie Fletcher came into the starting line up. In near heat wave conditions, Urchins kicked towards the windmill end in a first half in which neither team seriously threatened. A Dumas pass found Flack, whose speculative lob dropped onto the roof of the net, whilst Baker header over from Knight’s free kick. Urchins created few openings, though a good move involving Styles and Janney allowed Leon Antoine to get clear on the left. He played the ball on to Gary Bowes whose shot forced Walker into an excellent save, and Antoine followed up but could not force the ball over the line.

A long pass from the left by Dormer was hit wide by Knight, who had moved in behind the defence, and a long upfield kick by Tomlinson sent Bowes away, but Walker rushed out to kick away. Donny Barnard was then caught in possession by Knight who ran through but hit his shot wide of the post. Antoine chested down a good pass from Spencer and played the ball back to Barnard, whose cross was well held by Walker. Behcet saved well when Dormer tried a first time shot from the edge of the area, and at the other end Janney put Bowes clear, only for Dumas to cover well and hammer the ball out of the ground.

A cross by Flack was turned out for a corner by Barnard. Shinn took the kick and Fletcher headed away. Shortly before the interval Goodfellow found Janney but he was crowded out as he tried to get in a shot on goal. At half time Max was at a loss to know what to do, as he had been asked to turn off the tannoy to allow everyone to hear themselves speak. He eventually did what any announcer would do, and carried on regardless.

The match was lost and won in the first four minutes of the second half, and it all hinged on the post. Just two minutes had gone when JO FLACK swivelled past his marked and hit his shot into the net via the post, to send the one hundred away supporters, easily the best away support of the season so far, into raptures. Urchins surged back straight away, and Michael Ramkin, who had come on for Paul Shave, was fouled inside the penalty area. Who would take the penalty? Would it be Mark Janney, who had missed at Bognor, or Donny Barnard, who had scored at East Thurrock? Answer was Mark Janney, who put sent keeper Andy Walker the wrong way, only for the ball to cannon back out from the underside of the bar.

From then on, it was a long struggle, with the away defence comfortably repelling the aerial bombardment, whilst looking dangerous in counter attacks. A Shinn corner came to nothing, and at the other end Bowes found Janney whose cross was caught by Walker. Billericay almost went further ahead when Baker nipped in between two defenders, but Spencer was back to clear off the line. Ross Wall came on for Janney, but could not make much of an impression on the defence. Flack won a corner but Shinn’s corner kick was easily dealt with by Behcet. Urchins almost got back into the match when Bowes crossed to Tomlinson, who appeared to be brought down, but no penalty was awarded, the loud appeals being ignored.

Billy Coyne came on for Donny Barnard, and was quickly into action when he got in the way of Shinn’s free kick. Another Shinn corner was cleared, and the ball was played up to Ross Wall, whose centre was aimed at an unmarked Gary Bowes, but Oates cut the ball out as it came through. Darren Behcet saved well from Sullivan who had powered through the middle, but Billericay went further ahead when the ball was played out of defence to Flack, whose cross was touched home by BILLY BRICKNELL who had been on the field for less than a minute.

Elliot Styles headed over from Tomlinson’s free kick, and in the final minute JO FLACK scored finished off his run on the left wing with an incredible shot that dipped under the bar from out on the touchline. And mention of the match officials, who handled a local derby without the need to book anyone.