BILLERICAY TOWN 8 TONBRIDGE ANGELS 3 (played at Carshalton Athletic F.C.)
Phoenix FM’s JOHN CHUBB reporting from Colston Avenue
Billericay Town lifted the Alan Turvey Trophy after what was probably the most extraordinary final in the competition’s history, an 11-goal thriller against fellow Ryman Premier League play-off hopefuls Tonbridge Angels with Glenn Tamplin’s side finding the net 8 times.
Blues were without left back Oliver Sprague (cup tied) and captain Rob Swaine, who sustained an injury in Saturday’s home defeat against Enfield Town. Former first choice goalkeeper Jack Giddens returned in goal for the first time since new number 1 Alan Julian was recruited from Bromley in February.
Billericay had the first chances in the very early stages, an early effort from Adam Cunnington going over the bar and a shot from Jake Robinson being stopped by Jon Henly in the Tonbridge goal. But it was the Kent side who took the lead in the 5th minute. Luke Blewden’s shot was sparried away by Jack Giddens – back in the Billericay goal since the arrival of new number 1 Alan Julian – but Andre McCollin netted from the rebound. Billericay equalised 7 minutes later through midfielder Jake Robinson, who powered a shot past Henly to bring the tie level.
The frantic pace of the first 15 minutes tailed off as the game settled. Ricay’s Billy Bricknell – scorer of 4 goals in the 3 previous rounds of this competition – latched onto a long pass, but the number 9 fired his shot wide. Bricknell made up for it just before the half hour mark with a superb strike to put his side back in the lead. He again went close on 33 minutes when his head connected with a Jamie O’Hara free kick, but this time the ball went over the bar.
Ricay made it 3-1 with 36 minutes on the clock when Bricknell, who had been causing the Tonbridge defence all manner of problems fired a superb right footed drive past Henly to double his tally for the evening. Then just before half time, Bricknell completed his hat-trick after being set up by Robinson, who had latched onto a long clearance from the defence, to make it 4-1. Billericay were now dominanting the match and went in at the break full of confidence.
Once the second half had commenced, the Essex side continued where they had left off at the interval, Cunnington finding the net a few minutes after the restart and it was becoming a case of how many Glenn Tamplin’s men would score. But Tonbridge scored a second in bizarre circumstances, as substitute Alex Akrofi’s cross was turned into his own net by – of all people – Paul Konchesky, the former West Ham and England man who put in an otherwise classy display at the heart of his side’s defence.
On 55 minutes yet another Ricay attack saw left back Byron Lawrence power into the penalty box and fire a shot past Henly to make it 6-2. Then Cunnington scored his second and Town’s seventh in the 61st, with a right footed strike into the top right corner.
Billericay showed no sign of letting up against a shellshocked Angels side, and were totally in control by this stage although Nick Wheeler went close for Tonbridge on one occasion, and his fellow substitutes Akrofi and Allen had close efforts as the Kent side gamely battled on. But there was really only one team in this final, and the rout was complete when Henly, in spite of making an heroic double save was unable to stop the third effort from substitute Kresh Krasniqi going past him to make it 8-2 to Billericay. But Tonbridge to their credit never gave up and grabbed a consolation third late on through McCollin.
So it was a memorable night for Billericay, who have spent all but one of the last 38 seasons in the Isthmian League but who had never won this competition before. Owner and caretaker manager Glenn Tamplin (pictured below saluting the fans after the presentation of the trophy) and his players celebrated with the Blues supporters after the final whistle, in what was another extraordinary chapter in the recent story of this ambitious club.
Billericay: Giddens, Eyong, Lawrence (Taafe 87), Konchesky, Fitzsimmons, Ellul (Krasniqi 60), O’Hara, Johnson, Bricknell, Cunnington, Robinson (Assombalonga 66).
Tonbridge: Henly, Udoji, Partner, Scannell (Allen 63), Miles, Nelson, Blewden, Phipp, Elder (Akrofi 45), McCollin, Fortnan-Tomlinson (Wheeler 45).
Attendance : 653
