Bostik Premier League
BILLERICAY TOWN 5 STAINES TOWN 3
By JOHN CHUBB
@JohnCphoenixfm
Billericay Town kept their quest for the Bostik Premier League title going after this 8-goal thriller saw them claim all 3 points against Staines, and also saw their striker Jake Robinson take his place in the club’s record books.
Billericay’s Jake Robinson celebrates his record haul of goals for the club this season. Photograph by kind permission of Nicky Hayes (@NickyHayesPhoto)
Blues took an early lead after just nine minutes when Matt Paine powered a header past Staines goalkeeper Conor Hudnott to put his side ahead, and Billy Bricknell doubled the lead 5 minutes later when the big striker doubled the lead, also with his head.
The two goalscorers both had further chances but just after the half hour mark Elliott Buchanan, one of the leading marksmen in the Bostik Premier pulled one back for the Swans. The former Chelmsford City striker scored from the edge of the box for his 28th league strike of the campaign to make the score 2-1.
But another ex-Claret, Ricky Modeste made it 3-1 to Ricay on 36 minutes when the winger curled a shot into the top right hand corner of the net.
Max Worsfold once again reduced the deficit in the 41st minute, when his free kick beat Billericay number 1 Alan Julian to make the score Billericay 3, Staines 2 going into half time.
Blues made a change straight after the break as Jamie O’Hara made way for Danny Waldren, They then lost Modeste after he was on the receiving end of a high challenge from Tyrell Miller-Rodney, who was perhaps lucky to only receive a yellow card and Jake Robinson came on to replace his injured team mate.
Miller-Rodney was himself withdrawn and replaced by Josh Webb after becoming involved in an argument with a group of home supporters, Staines manager Johnson Hippolyte clearly not wanting to risk playing the final half hour with 10 men.
Billericay’s introduction of their goalscoring phenomenon Robinson proved inspired as he made it 4-2 with 72 minutes on the clock, finding the net from 30 yards out.
But the visitors were not throwing in the towel, as Buchanan scored his second and his side’s third with 12 minutes remaining from a header to make it 4-3.
But Robinson secured all 3 points for Ricay in the 88th minute when he scored his second of the game to make it 5-3. It was the former Brighton and Hove Albion forward’s 52nd goal of the season, and with this strike he broke the all-time club record for the number of goals from one player in a campaign, previously held for two decades by Leon Gutzmore who bagged 51 for Blues in the 1997/98 season.
Billericay are now five points clear at the top of the league with six Bostik Premier fixtures left, but they next have the chance to claim the Velocity Trophy this Wednesday evening as they face Metropolitan Police in the final.
Billericay Town: Alan Julian, Robbie Evans, Kevin Foley, Joe Kizzi, Josh Urquhart, Sam Deering, Ricky Modeste(Jake Robinson 59),Matt Paine, Billy Bricknell, Jamie O’Hara (Danny Waldren 46), Adam Cunnington (Dean Inman 79).
Staines Town: Conor Hudnott, Leon Solomon, Tyrell Miller-Rodney (Josh Webb 59), Bayley Brown (Daniel Brown 64), Ugo Udoji, Tommy Brewer, Sam Hatton, Wadah Ahmidi, Elliott Buchanan, Mo Bettamer, Max Worsfold.
Attendance: 580
