(Billericay Town win 3-1 on penalties).

Match report by Simon Williams.

Andy Walker was the hero as Billericay beat AFC Sudbury in a penalty shootout on Tuesday evening. The Town 'keeper saved the first two Sudbury penalties to set his team on their way to a three – one spotkick win.

Billericay made just the one change from the first game with the injury that forced Greg Oates from the pitch on Saturday keeping him sidelined. Russell Pond returned from injury at right back, allowing Dave McSweeney to play alongside Ian Cousins at centre back.

The reshuffled defence had their work cut out at set pieces throughout the evening, and they got off to the worst possible start when Jack Defty was left unmarked to head a Curtis Hayes-Brown long throw past Walker in the fifth minute.

Town were galvanised by the early goal and set about attacking the Sudbury goal, dominating the rest of the half. Recent arrival Danny Green was at the heart of much that was good about their attacking play, forming a useful-looking partnership with Ashley Dumas on the left. It was Dumas who created the first chance of note for the Blues picking out James Baker with a neat cross; Baker's glancing headed went inches wide.

Twice Green let fly through a crowded penalty area, both times denied by sprawling saves from Richard Wilmot in the Sudbury goal. Town's best chance of the half fell to Dave McSweeney at a corner, but he couldn't get enough behind his shot and Wilmot made the save.

Town's equaliser was an own goal early in the second half. Michael Shinn lifted a corner into the box where it was headed into the net by Sudbury's former Chelmsford defender Stuart Ainsley. The game had been played in a competitive spirit throughout, but it threatened to boil over when Russell Pond took umbrage at a nasty two-footed tackle from Defty and shoved him in the chest. The referee decided to show leniency to both players, booking them when they might have expected red cards.

Billericay took the lead shortly after the hour mark when Baker knocked down a high ball into the path of Billy Bricknell who buried his right foot shot in the back of the net. Bricknell then drew another good save from Wilmot at his near post with a turn and shot.

Although they offered little threat from open play, AFC Sudbury continued to look dangerous at set pieces and it was no surprise when Defty scored his second of the evening, heading in a corner moments after Andy Walker had made an excellent save to deny Craig Hughes.

With both sides starting to look tired the game headed to extra time. Billericay suffered a double injury blow when both Ashley Dumas and Billy Bricknell were forced off with injury to be replaced with two products of the Billericay youth set-up, Ryan O'Rawe and Luca Frankis.

As is so often the case extra time produced little in the way of clear cut chances. The visitors best moment came when Hughes let fly from a tight angle with a shot that went just past the post. Town's best moment came with an audacious lob from Matt Hall, beating Wilmot from just outside the centre circle, only to be denied by the cross bar. Late in extra time Hayes-Brown was sent off after picking up his second booking of the night, but there was little time for Town to press home their numerical advantage.

And so the game went to penalties. Walkers double save from Defty and Sam Clarke meant that, although Russell Pond missed Town's first penalty, Dave McSweeney's successful attempt gave them the advantage. James Baker gave Town a two goal cushion and when Craig Hughes blazed over it gave Shinn the opportunity to hit the winning penalty. He, like Pond, hit the bar and although Danny Brown's penalty kept Sudbury's hopes alive, Dave Wareham made no mistake to give Billericay the win they deserved for their efforts over the two games.

BILLERICAY TOWN

Team: Andy Walker, Russell Pond, Ashley Dumas (Ryan O'Rawe 90), Michael Shinn, Dave McSweeney, Ian Cousins (c), Danny Green (Dave Wareham 74), Matt Hall, James Baker, Billy Bricknell (Luca Frankis 94), Lawrence Yiga

Subs Not Used: Fiston Manuella, Harrison Chatting

Goalscorers: Stuart Ainsley (o.g.), Billy Bricknell

Yellow Cards: TBC

Red Cards: None

HT: 0-1

Attendance: 252