Match report by Simon Williams.
Photos by Amanda Protheroe.

Billericay left their league travails behind them on Saturday when they travelled to AFC Sudbury in the FA Trophy. After their mid-week horror-show at home to Kingstonian, they knew they had to improve, and had it not been for an unfortunate late goal, they would have got the win that their much better performance deserved.

Billericay handed a debut to new signing Danny Green on the left of midfield whilst Michael Shinn was able to return to the centre of the park.

The Blues got off to a bad start when Kevin Hawes headed the home side into an early lead, getting on the end of a Gareth Heath corner. The lead only lasted ten minutes, however, as Matt Hall scored a well worked equalliser. The youngster, playing in his second game since joining on loan from Leyton Orient, found the net with a well struck shot after a Lawrence Yiga cross had been knocked into his path by James Baker.

Ten minutes later Billericay took the lead when Billy Bricknell scampered clear to fire past Richard Wilmot. Town suffered a blow when, shortly after taking the lead, Greg Oates limped off to be replaced by Ryan O'Rawe, making his first team debut. The defence was still settling down when Sudbury equalised, a Heath free kick causing a goalmouth scramble in which the ball was finally turned in by Michael Fitzgibbon.

The second half started well for Billericay, when a mis-hit clearance by Wilmot fell kindly for James Baker who made it two goals in two games as he restored their lead.

AFC Sudbury looked at their most dangerous at set-pieces, with the delivery of Gareth Heath, and the long throws of Curtis Haynes-Brown causing Billericay a few difficulties. Billericay looked to hit Sudbury on the break, and could have wrapped up the win when Bricknell and Wareham led a break that ended with Wareham shooting wide from a difficult angle when he may have been better advised to cross to his team-mate.

Town were once again victims of a late goal when Heath's eighty-ninth minute corner flew straight into the net. Billericay felt that Andy Walker had been impeded, but their protests were waved away and the two sides will have to meet in a replay on Tuesday.

 
AFC SUDBURY

Team: Richard Wilmot, Nathan Speed, Curtis Haynes-Brown, Sam Clarke, Danny Brown, Rhys Darg, Jack Defty, Gareth Heath (c), Craig Hughes, Michael Fitzgibbon (Danny Bloomfield 74m), Kevin Hawes

Subs Not Used: Sam Parkinson, Wayne Saunders, Perry Sansford, Chris Tracey

Goalscorers: Kevin Hawes (4m), Michael Fitzgibbon (33m), Gareth Heath (89m)

Yellow Cards: Rhys Darg (45+1m), Curtis Haynes-Brown (70m)

Red Cards: None


BILLERICAY TOWN

Team: Andy Walker, Dave McSweeney, Ashley Dumas, Michael Shinn, Greg Oates (Ryan O'Rawe 31m), Ian Cousins (c), Lawrence Yiga (Fiston Manuella 88m), Matt Hall, James Baker, Billy Bricknell, Danny Green (Dave Wareham 80m)

Subs Not Used: Harrison Chatting, Luca Frankis,

Goalscorers: Matt Hall (15m), Billy Bricknell (26m), James Baker (52m)

Yellow Cards: Lawrence Yiga (33m), Matt Hall (54m)

Red Cards: None

HT: 2-2
Attendance: 312

Referee: D. Rock
Assistant Referees: G. Gray & W. Henderson