Billericay finally achieved their first win of 1999 in their final game in January - but they left it very late.

The second-half action had reached the 50th minute before Jon Hooker's effort from the left caught a deflection and brought all three points to triumphant Town against their bottom of the table rivals.

One could only feel sympathy for the battling visitors, but home boss John Kendall was adamant: "Hooker had a perfectly good goal ruled out for offside earlier in the second-half.

"It wasn't easy out there on a very heavy surface which was impossible to play good football on down the middle, but we kept going and got our reward in the end."

It was a match full of controversy. Billericay, apart from one Chris Moore effort which goalkeeper Gavin King kept out with an instinctive safe, offered no danger in the opening 45 minutes.

Stortford, but for some outstanding goalkeeping from the home side's Dave Root and poor finishing, would have had a three-goal lead by the break.

However, the 625 strong crowd had plenty to warm them on a chilly afternoon in the second-half.

Two minutes after the resumption player-manager Terry Robbins gave Stortford the lead then, after Hooker's disallowed effort, David Adekola hit his 15th goal of the season from a suspiciously looking offside position.

The architect of the goal was Martin St Hilaire who played for the FA XI at Soham Town Rangers last night.

Hilaire proved almost unplayable with his mazy runs down the right in the second-half and, when he cut in on the 75 minute mark, King raced from his goal to bring him down.

The referee decided that as it had not been a clear goal-scoring chance King should receive a caution rather than a red card. From my vantage point I was unclear as to whether the offence was inside, or on the edge, of the penalty area.

A spot-kick was awarded and on loan striker Joe Nartey took it. King saved with a dive to his right, but Nartey was on hand to score his fourth Town goal in three games.

Stortford, to their credit, battled back again. Substitute Tony Comerford levelled - again there was a hint of offside about the goal - but Town made sure of the points with that late Hooker show.

The win allowed Kendall's fifth-placed men to consolidate their Ryman position and also make up ground on a couple of teams above them.

From here on they look like having to manage without Nartey's services. He has been recalled at the end of the month's loan by Aldershot - ironically due to the fact that ex Billericay striker Leon Gutzmore is out injured.

You put your right leg in - Billericay striker Joe Nartey (left) tries a bit of the old hokey-cokey with Bishop Stortford's Graeme Paxton.

Pictures: ANDY PALMER

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