Soccer: Goalless draw for Billericay

(Ryman League Premier Division)

An unremarkable game on Saturday saw the teams gain a point each even though they created barely a handful of chances between them.

Stafford Browne for Town, however, had a decent chance to score just before the break and a strike at that stage might well have been enough mindful of their opponents' lack of punch.

With Paul Linger still on the substitutes bench and Chris Moore and Kirk Game out, there was a place for Steve Blaney at right back and he looked good in the early exchanges following on from an exceptional performance at Purfleet the previous Wednesday. Otherwise the team was much as expected.

One of the better Town players of late, however, has been Joe Baker. On ten minutes, he picked up a squared ball from Colin Simpson.

In space and with the Enfield defence all over the place, the ex-Leyton Orient player advanced on goalkeeper Andy Hall, who stood up well and was able to parry the low drive and grab the loose ball.

While Town generally had the bulk of the possession, on 17 minutes Blaney was well placed to knock a Danny Alleyne effort off the line.

Town's defence though packed themselves behind the ball when necessary and the visitors struggled to get through.

The Enfield defence, marshalled by the towering presence of captain Wayne Brown, were, for their part, generally able to cope with Billericay's largely ineffective attack.

But the last few minutes of the half at last saw some excitement. On 36 minutes there was another block in front of Gavin King's goal.

Straight from this the ball broke well for Browne in the Enfield half. Defender Darren Annon caught up and forced Brown wide only then to be rounded near the goal line towards the left hand flag.

The crossed ball beat Hall parallel to the goal but went harmlessly across to the other side.

Browne did plenty of running throughout the game and showed great skill in keeping possession, but he spent much of his time rather deep leaving the Billericay's main thrust up front to Simpson. It was, however, to him to whom the game's best chance was to fall.

A minute into added time, Baker crossed expertly.

Browne appeared to catch the ball well with his forehead with Hall beaten, but the ball, crashing down, went wide to the shock of Town's fans who, arms aloft, were ready to celebrate.

The second half was indistinguishable from the first.

Town had much the best of the possession, and Baker made some progress down the left, but his crosses were dealt with easily, while, also from the left, Blaney tried shooting from distance several times only to see the ball bounce off defenders.

On 52 minutes a breakaway by Enfield's James Bunn saw him shot, running at speed, from distance from the right.

The ball passed in front of King and wide of the far post to bring a gasp from the Enfield fans behind the goal.

This was merely an introduction to Town's best concentrated spell.

The ball dropped into the Enfield penalty area on countless occasions only to bounce clear.

The expedient of shooting from distance was brought into use, but, if defenders were avoided, the shot was more likely to go way over the stand.

Another breakaway on 66 minutes saw Enfield's best chance of a largely barren afternoon.

Substitute Glen Southam crossed at speed from the right and Alleyne in front of goal had only to connect to divert the ball into the net.

He failed to make such a connection, the ball went wide the other side, and the Enfield fans were again left to wonder.

Enfield used all their substitutes, one player having had to be stretchered off, while Billericay manager Gary Calder used one of his.

This made little difference. For Town the shooting from distance if anything got more erratic, while, for Enfield, the principal danger came from breakaways.

Brown and Town substitute Gary Henty were booked after some pushing and shoving in the closing minutes.

But a bizarre Enfield last minute free kick is likely to remain in the memory longer than the game itself.

Two players, who shall remain nameless, lined up to run at the ball from different angles, one a short run-up, the other a long run-up.

They set off clear in their own minds what they were going to do.

In the event both managed to kick the ball at the same time and it sailed over goal and stand and lodged itself in the trees behind the goal.

Billericay Town: King, Jordan, Blaney, Connor, Williams, Parratt, Woolsey, Browne, Simpson, Baker, and Gentle (Henty).

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.