Ryman League Premier Division
BILLERICAY TOWN 3 CANVEY ISLAND 1
Phoenix FM’s JOHN CHUBB reporting from New Lodge
Billericay Town ended their home campaign on a high with a 3-1 victory over relegation threatened Canvey Island, in front of the club’s biggest ever home league crowd of nearly 2000.
Following Saturday’s away defeat at struggling Leatherhead – a result which all but ended his club’s hopes of a play-off place – Blues owner/caretaker manager Glenn Tamplin, who had been quoted as saying many of his players would be ‘on trial’ in this match rang a couple of changes, with Kreshnic Krasniqi coming in at right back for Tambeson Eyong (who missed out due to an eye infection) and Lewis Taafe replacing striker Adam Cunnington in the starting line up, the former Bromley man starting on the bench.
Although Ricay had the majority of the play in the opening stages, the visitors came close in the 11th minute when a close range effort by Callum Ibe was parried away by Alan Julian in the Town goal. A minute later Billy Bricknell – last week’s hat-trick hero in the Ryman League Cup final – went close for the home side, his strike being tipped over by Gulls keeper Conor Gough. Then in the 25 minute Billericay were awarded a penalty when Bricknell was pushed down by Canvey’s John Mbamarah on the edge of the area. The former Chelmsford City forward stepped up to take the kick and made no mistake, slotting the ball to Gough’s right to put his side in the lead.
Further opportunities were created by the Blues, Bricknell having a great chance which went skyward and just before half time a perfectly placed Paul Konchesky cross met Taafe at the far post, but his effort went just wide.
Home boss Tamplin clearly wanted more firepower going into the second half, so Cunnington replaced Krasniqi and also goalkeeper Julian, having taken a knock in the opening 45 minutes was replaced by Jack Giddens. But 10 minutes after the restart it was Canvey who made their way back into the game, George Sykes nodding the ball past Giddens at close range after being set up by ex-Billericay player Steve Sheehan. But Ricay went back in front on 66 minutes and Bricknell was again on hand to tap the ball past Gough.
In the final quarter of an hour the home side pushed hard for a third goal and the chance to make sure of three points, record signing Jake Robinson going close 12 minutes from time when his effort was pushed over the bar by Gough. Just after that the action moved to the opposite end as Sykes attempted to add to his tally, but Giddens saved his effort. Then with only 2 minutes left Mbamarah had an effort cleared off the line, as the Gulls desperately attempted to grab an equaliser.
But the Blues made sure of bragging rights in the final minute of normal time when Robinson found the net in spite of appearing to be offside, but referee Peter Cruise allowed the goal to stand. So Billericay ended their home campaign on a high, leaving Canvey still having to ensure Ryman Premier League survival which is now out of their hands.
After the final whistle I spoke exclusively to Glenn Tamplin, as shown below. He revealed to me that he and coach Harry Wheeler will be joint managers of the club next season.
Billericay: Julian (Giddens 45), Krasniqi (Cunnington 45), Lawrence (McLeod 59), Konchesky, Fitzsimons, Ellul, O’Hara, Johnson, Robinson, Bricknell, Taafe.
Canvey: Gough, Pitty, Dumas, Merrifield, Mbamarah, Sheehan, Gilbey, Blackman, Sykes, Curran (Thomas 45), Ibe.
Attendance : 1970
After the final whistle I spoke exclusively to Glenn Tamplin, as shown below. He revealed to me that he and coach Harry Wheeler will be joint managers of the club next season.
Talking about the performance, Tamplin praised his players’ response in this game, but also had a few tough words and revealed how he approached them pre-match.
“The plan was always to build this year and get promoted next year….(but) every time we got close we let ourselves down, we let the fans down, and it was very frustrating. I’ve done everything I can and more for the players and the club, the fans have reacted and done as much as they can….and it was the players constantly letting us down.”
“There was no team talk today. They (the players) got put in the away changing room, all mud and litter were left in there, threw their kit in the middle of the floor, no kit man, no physio…..I put the team on the wall, and said there’s your team, go and perform, if you want to perform like a Sunday outfit you’ll be treated like a Sunday outfit….you need to perform today if you want to stay on this train. And that was the team talk!”
“I’m not going to fail the fans of this football club….players won’t let me do that.”
But Tamplin did go on to say that he thought the team responded very well against Canvey: “I’m not blown away by the players, but I’m happy with the reaction I got”.
When I asked the owner about appointing a new manager in the close season, he revealed: “We’ve appointed a new joint manager alongside me, me and Harry (Wheeler, current first team coach) are going to be joint managers next season…..I’m good for doing what I do and Harry is very good technically, he knows the non-leagues, he will bring in 6 or 7 players and we will be a serious serious side next year.”