Match Report by Simon Williams. Photos by Amanda Protheroe.
Billericay's Essex Senior Cup Tie with Harlow reached a conclusion at the the third attempt on Tuesday with The Blues notching up a convincing win. With the tie already having been subject to a weather related abandonment and postponement, it was something of a relief to see the game finally played.
Billericay made a number of expected changes to the side that had crumbled at Ashford on Saturday with Neil Marron making a welcome return at right back, Harrison Chatting replacing the unwell Dave Wareham and Rikki Burbridge starting up front in a 4-4-2 formation.
It proved to be a productive night for the big striker as he hit a first half hat-trick to help carry his team to a meeting with his former club, AFC Hornchurch, in the next round. His opening strike carried with it the turning point for the whole game. Jamie Dormer played an astute through ball to which Burbridge reacted first, turning it past James Hassell and into the net. In his efforts to block the shot, Hassell picked up an ankle injury and after struggling on for a couple of minutes, he had to be replaced. With no substitute keeper on the bench, Craig Charles was handed the gloves for seventy-plus minutes.
Despite playing some neat passing football with Dormer and Adrian Deane combining well in the centre of the park, Billericay seemed strangely shot-shy with the rookie in goal, and they had to wait until shortly before half time to extend their lead. A clumsy foul by Harrison Tague conceded a free kick out by the right touchline. Steven Ferguson delivered an accurate cross that Burbridge headed goalwards, giving Charles no chance. On the stroke of half time, Burbridge wrapped up his hat-trick when he ran through onto another astute Dormer pass and dinked his shot over the keeper.
Billericay quickly added two further goals after the break. Their fourth of the evening came when Harrison Chatting beat Tague before delivering a deep cross that Billy Bricknell hit between Charles' legs to score. Bricknell then wrapped up the scoring with a low shot that took a big deflection off the unfortunate Ted Llewellyn to give Charles no chance.
Perhaps understandably, Billericay eased off in the final half hour of the game, playing most of it with ten men after Lynvall Duncan limped off having been fouled. Even with the man advantage, Harlow posed little threat with most of the fight seemingly having been knocked out of them.
