Staines Town  1-2  Billericay Town

Brentwood Town 0-0  Harlow Town

East Thurrock United 2-0  Hendon

Cheltenham Town  1-3  Southend United

Dagenham & Redbridge 1-1  Accrington Stanley

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FULL TIME: And it’s ‘Ricay’s first away win of the season.  Deservedly so.  More possession and chances.  Nobody seems to be able to cope with how they play at the moment.

Thoughts are with Sam Bates too.  Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Pics from today’s game are here … https://www.flickr.com/photos/phoenixfmsport/sets/72157631544196149/

Next up will be Brentwood Town’s replay with Harlow Town in the FA Vase this coming Tuesday evening.  Until then, enjoy the weekend, and your football.

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90th min + 11 – RED CARD FOR BILLERICAY Nathan Green sees red for kicking the ball away needlessly.  I bet Craig will be pleased with that.

90th min + 10 – A dangerous looking home free kick, central and 30 yards out, turns into a tame effort that Dale Brightly had time to put his cigarette out before saving.

90th+7 min – So it’s good wins for East Thurrock and Southend.  Meanwhile, Staines keeper has a chance to show his acrobatics, saving superbly from Nathan Green on the edge of his six yard box, with Craig Edwards not being able to control the rebound.

90+5th min – Haven’t seen much, but Joe has told me Dale Brightly saved another certain goal, from a shot on the left about 12 yards out and Duran Reynolds has been booked.  All this updating stuff, you know, it taxes your perspicacity.  And your spelling.

Injury Time:  11 (eleven) minutes of it here.

88th min – GOAL! ….. Staines Town 1,  BILLERICAY TOWN 2 Yes!  Yep, a corner on the right.  Yep, Rob Swaine.  But no, not a header!  This time off his shoulder!

Liquid football!

84th min – Craig Edwards uses his final roll of the dice, replacing Alex Osborn with Josh Hutchinson.  I’m surprised.  But then nothing surprises me.  That’s not my quote, that was Stevo on the Super League last night, but it sums it up well.

82nd min – Staines sub Cyril Ocansey (you have to love that name) plays a lovely 70 yard cross field pass on the left, that finds David Wheeler just inside the area on the bye-line.  His low, hard centre flashes across the edge of the six yard box.

81st min – Play is stopped momentarily as Alex Osborn picks up a knock.  It’s understandably muted here at Wheatsheaf Park.  Sam Bates has gone immediately to hospital in the ambulance.  Best wishes to him.

77th min – Smart home move down the left finds Tony Garrod inside the area, completely free.  He shoots from point blank range but Dale Brightly pulls off a brilliant reflex save.

75th min – Sam Bates is stretchered off to generous applause and the match continues.

73rd min – Still no movement.  They’re putting a neck brace on the poor lad.

68th min – The stretcher has come on.  Fingers crossed it’s not serious.  Meanwhile Craig Edwards comes for Luke I’Anson and Junior Luke replaces Sam Lechmere.

65th min – Play is stopped after a Billericay break on the right and cross saw Nathan Green clatter into the home keeper and defender Sam Bates, leaving the host outfield player winded.

63rd min – The hosts earn another corner after Wild and Swaine were beaten for pace.  They try a short one but only succeed in kicking the ball straight out, and about 25 yards wide.  Worst.  Corner.  Ever.

60th min – Staines get a corner of their own on the right but they make the mistake of pumping it high into the six yard box.  Yeah, rightio, that’ll work.  Rob Swaine clears easily.

57th min – Corner on the right to Biller … oh, you know the rest.  Chris Wild this time.  Then from the goal kick and poor defending, Sam Lechmere is giving a half chance, but his shot on the left from 18 yards is wide.

53rd min – There are undiscovered tribes in the Sahara who knew what was coming from a ‘Ricay corner on the right.  This time, Rob Swaine’s header goes narrowly wide.

50th min – My goodness, Staines almost took the lead there.  Good move down the right, a low centre causes consternation, David Wheeler’s shot is blocked but is deflected into the path of Scott Taylor, he looks certain to score from inside the six yard box, but Chris WIld somehow gets back and blocks the goal-bound shot.  The corner is then easily defended.  Phew.

48th min – Another ‘Ricay corner, this time on the right, and Chris Wild’s header at the far post on the edge of the six yard box goes a foot over.  Good start.

47th min – Ooh.  A quickly taken corner on the left fooled everyone, with nobody in the area and the keeper out of position, the ball whistles centimetres wide.

4.05pm – Kick Off! Let’s see if any part of me works.

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HALF TIME:  It’s not my day.  The live mic has now packed up.  And Billericay, dominating after a sluggish first 25 minutes or so, must be feeling just as miffed.

There’s certainly been no real danger from the hosts, and ‘Ricay have had numerous chances from the likes of Swaine, Wild, Osborn and Reynolds.

Hope springs eternal, though, that ‘Ricay can convert their dominance into that first away win in the second half.  In the meantime, I’m off for a Bovril and a battery.  Laters

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45th min – GOAL! ….. STAINES TOWN 1,  Billericay Town 1 And out of nothing, the hosts equalise.  DAVID WHEELER finds himself in space, and from 22 yards out on the right, his low shot nestles into the far post.

Totally against the run of play.

43rd min – Billericay pile on the pressure.  Another Duran Reynolds free kick from 25 yards, on the right, is parried by the keeper and out off the post.  From that, a Chris Wild header goes just wide.  ‘Ricay are certainly in control of things here.  Hurrah!

40th min – GOAL! ….. Staines Town 0, BILLERICAY TOWN 1 Yes!  From the Staines clearance, a smart Sam Lechmere through ball on the left found ALEX OSBORN in plenty of space, and this time, he made no mistake from the edge of the area.

Striker!

39th min – Another Billericay corner on the left, Rob Swaine heads it, but it’s cleared again.

35th min – Ooh, Staines went close there.  I didn’t see it, though, as I was writing up that Billericay free kick, but the roar from the home supporters and the hands on heads of Staines players signifies it was a near miss.  Properly up-to-date, me, you know.

34th min – Handbags are out.  Matt Drage goes in late on Glenn Poole to become the third home player booked in five minutes.   Duran Reynolds has a pop from about 25 yards, it goes to the near post, the keeper fumbles, but away from goal, and it’s cleared.

32nd min – Nathan Green follows soon after into the ref’s notebook for a foul, then Sam Lechmere takes a whack, for which the hosts Reece Hall is also booked.  Perhaps the ref was simply bored and decided to spice things up a bit.

29th min – Another near thing from Billericay.  Guess what?  Yep.  Set piece.  Free kick on the left, Rob Swaine heads it, but this time it’s cleared just off the line.  In clearing the danger, Staines defender Scott Taylor is booked for his trouble, but the 2nd Billericay free kick comes to nothing.

25th min – Tony Garrod tries a shot for the home side from just outside the area but goes higher than a Charlie Adam penalty at Wembley.

22nd min – Glenn Poole tries a long distance shot from a central position but it’s easily saved.

18th min – Ooh, that was close!  Lovely through ball on the left puts Alex Osborn clear.  Home keeper Jack Turner comes out to narrow the angle, though, and parries Osborn’s on target shot from the edge of the area just wide.

17th min – There won’t be many close-up pics of today’s game as the camera’s battery has died.  Pah.  It’ll be just the ones I take from my mobile, which are about as clear as the Kate Middleton ones.  Just as well there’s hardly anything happening on the pitch.

12th min – A semblance of a near miss.  Staines took a corner on the left, the delivery was low, wrong-footing the ‘Ricay defence, but the shot from about 8 yards was tame and well wide of the far post.

11th min – The Billericay contingent are in good voice.  The home side’s chant of “Yellows” (not Gold then) was immediately drowned out by “Essex!  Essex!” and a rendition of ‘She’ll be coming round the mountain.’    Really nothing else to report.

7th min – Nothing of any note so far.  A Billericay free kick on the left touchline from 25 yards out that was easily defended.  That’s it.  But at least it’s sunny and Joe rated the burger here as “Small but good.  Should have been bigger, but the bun was better than Billericay.  And West Ham, it’s rubbish there.”

3.01pm – Kick Off! Oh yes!

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2.57pm – The teams come out, Staines in their distinctly yellow looking ‘gold’ and royal blue, with their goalie in shocking pink.  Classy stuff.  Billericay are in sky blue.  Hopefully more in tune with Man City than Coventry.

2.50pm – Subs are 12. – Richard Halle.  14 – Junior Luke.  15 – Craig Edwards.  16 – Josh Hutchinson.  17 – Matt Bennett.  For some reason, I tried for ages to type the subs in below the team line-up, but computer said no.  Delayed road rage I guess.  Or I’m just an eejit.  Your guess is as good as mine …

2.45pm – Team News:  Billericay Town go with

2.40pm – A very warm welcome and belated from a sweltering Wheatsheaf Park for this afternoon’s frivolities.  And an intriguing afternoon is in prospect.  I hope so after the road trip from Hell getting here.  3 hours.  Pah

Staines are much like Billericay so far this season, unbeaten at home, without a win away.  As they’ve played a game less, however, they trail Billericay in the Conference South table, 17th compared to ‘Ricay’s healthy 11th.

Craig Edwards and the boys will be in the best of spirits after their 4-0 tonking of pre-season title favourites Eastleigh last week, a result which cost the Eastleigh manager his job,  Getting their first away win this campaign would, well, it would be a corker!

Brentwood Town are involved in FA Trophy action and East Thurrock United, the draw specialists, will be hopeful of gaining their first league victory of the campaign.  This afternoon should be absorbing – and could be a cracker!

As ever, keep refreshing the page every few minutes, and your eyes and ears will be filled with the drama and japery of an afternoon at the football.

GAME ON!