It would be easy to write-off this Ryman League Premier Division derby affair at New Lodge as a bit of a damp squib.

Admittedly, Billericay and Canvey failed to find a goal between them in front of a near 900-strong crowd last night.

It is also fair to say that goal chances were at something of a premium on an evening when defenders generally stole the leading honours.

However, the affair was also an intriguing one as two teams with the utmost respect for each other worked tirelessly to combat the strengths of the opposition.

At the end, Gulls' manager Jeff King probably had more reason for contentment than opposite number Gary Calder.

King had seen his side come perilously close to winning with a late flurry, while Calder had the worry, for the second successive game, of having a key player sent off for collecting two cautions.

There is no doubt that the introduction 15 minutes from time of a fresh pair of strong-running legs in the shape of striker Andy Jones, one of five ex-Billericay men in the visiting squad, ruffled the feathers of the home rearguard.

He had already caused problems when, with four minutes of normal time remaining, he burst past home central defender Kenny Roudette, who had enjoyed another excellent game, and was clearly pulled back.

Referee John Kasey, having already booked Roudette for a foul on Steve Parmenter early in the second-half, had little option but to show the Billericay man the fateful second yellow card and dismiss him from the field.

The free-kick was touched to Jones by Steve Tilson and his deflected shot earned a corner.

When Tilson took it, Craig Davidson knocked a dangerous ball into the box where Chris Moore was off target with a header.

A clearer opportunity came 60 seconds later when Tilson pulled a low ball across the face of the goal from the left and could only look on in anguish as it agonisingly rolled to safety after missing the outstretched legs of Jones and Moore.

Said King: "I felt that we were stronger than them at the end and should have won it, but Ashley Harrison had made a couple of good saves for us earlier.

"Derby matches are special, but it's important you don't get carried away with their importance. Perhaps the key thing is not to lose them.

"All credit to Gary though. He's in his first season here at New Lodge and is obviously very much in the rebuilding stage, but Billericay are not going to be an easy team to beat."

Calder fielded two new men in the shape of Sutton striker Colin Simpson and Dagenham midfielder Justin Gentle, but this was very much a night when attacking talent was generally nullified by outstanding defence with Canvey back four man Steve Ward, in my book, head and shoulders above any other player on the field.

Billericay enjoyed their best spells in the early stages of each half and the game cried out for a moment of individual inspiration to break the deadlock.

Town twice nearly provided it - once when Kieren Adams burst into the box from the left and forced Harrison to a low diving save.

Then Sammy Cooper launched on a speedy defence-splitting run which sadly was not matched by Bryan Hammatt's off target finish.

Yet it was Canvey who came so close to having the last word and, with only one point separating the two sides as they ride high in the table, the result was perhaps predictable.

Red card shame - Billericay Town's Kenny Roudette (right) tries to beat Canvey's Steve Tilson before the Town centre-half was sent off for a second bookable offence

Picture: STEPHEN LLOYD

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