Eastbourne Borough 1 Billericay Town 1

Vanarama League South

Saturday 29^th February

A second half strike from Jack Paxman levelled up an early first half goal by Charlie Walker means that Billericay Town were able to place another point on the board, but they end the day still perilously close to the relegation zone.

A coach-load of Leyton Orient fans made the trip after their game at Forest Green Rovers was postponed. It was therefore perhaps fate that former O’s favourite Dean Cox set-up the opening goal, bursting down the right wing and delivering a pinpoint cross to the back pos,t which Charlie Walker then headed home at close range. The game was barely two minutes old and already the Blue were up against it.

The Blues found it hard to settle, having to play into the swirling wind, meaning that they struggled to get the ball out of their own half in the opening fifteen minutes. Alan Julian had problems getting any distance on his goal kicks, and often had trouble taking them as the wind played havoc with the ball. The Billericay keeper was booked, unfairly in my view, during the course of the first half for time-wasting, when in reality the ball simply would not sit still for him to take his goal kicks.

There was also a period of heavy rain, then hailstones and if that wasn’t enough the Blue also had to try and keep out an Eastbourne side who themselves are circling  close to relegation waters and who were also buoyed by having taken such an early lead. Kane Wills drilled a shot just wide for the hosts on 13 minutes and then Greg Luer set up Walker whose shot was tipped round the post by Julian.

The Blues finally crafted an opportunity themselves in the 21^st minute with Paxman latching onto a ball over the top and hitting a low shot that Sports keeper Franco Ravizzoli saved. It was the Blues keeper that was the busiest of the two however, having to pull off a fabulous diving save to deny Walker scoring his second of the afternoon at the half-hour mark; at that stage of the contest the hosts were having more possession of the ball with most of the play taking place in Billericay’s half.

Billericay did launch one counter-attack in the 33^rd minute with Femi Akinwande and Paxman both involved in the build up with Femi Akinwande’s final shot being cleared off the line. But Sports came right back at their opponents and a minute later Walker was again played in and stroked a shot just wide. In the 39^th minute Walker, who had been a constant threat to Billericay, fired a free kick that took a deflection and went over the bar.

But a cheeky little back-heel in the box by Cole in the 41^st minute fell kindly to Akinwande whose shot was charged down by Ravizzoli, and then Akinwande had another shot blocked soon afterwards. However the last chance of the half fell to Walker, who turned and fired a low shot that Julian was equal to.

At half time the hosts were good for their lead, but the Blues having had to battle the elements, as well as Eastbourne, were still very much in it.

Jamie O’Hara could not have hoped for a better start to the second period as within two minutes of it his side were back level. It was almost a carbon copy of Eastbourne’s goal, in that it came down the right wing with Akinwande powering down that side of the pitch and then delivering an accurate cross to Paxman;  a decent finish tothat left the keeper with no chance and Billericay were now very much back in the game.

It was now Billericay that applied the pressure with Cole having a shot tipped away by Ravizzoli. However it wasn’t all plain sailing as Julian had to cut out a Walker shot in the 55^th minute and then there was a troublesome moment when a glorious pass by Jack Skinner alluded Billericay’s centre-halves but Walker wasn’t able to control the ball  and the ball sped away from him and into the hands of the Billericay keeper.

The Blues had managed to keep the hosts a bit more contained as the half wore on and Akinwande was now becoming a thorn in the side of the Sports defence as he was involved in most of Billericay’s forward moves. In the 69^th minute he laid off Cole who drilled a shot just over the bar; then a minute later Akinwande hustled his way onto a ball, laid it out wide to Paxman whose shot nearly curled in at Ravizzoli’s left-hand post.

Billericay did have to defend at times with Ronnie Henry and Jacob Cook both hooking clear balls; but there was a real heart-in-mouth moment for the Billericay fans in the 80^th minute. A well-worked Eastbourne move saw Skinner play the final pass to Walker who was then only denied by the post.

Billericay closed the show on the front foot, winning a number of corners towards the end, with Akinwande having the final chance of the game which he could only steer wide of the target.

It’s three draws on the spin for Billericay and this latest result sees them drop down to 20^th with just goal difference keeping them out of the relegation zone. However they have games in hand, and more importantly are rolling up their sleeves and battling for points. O’Hara’s men had to dig deep at times at Priory Lane yesterday afternoon and that resolve will stand them in good stead as they work towards maintaining their Vanarama League South status.

Eastbourne Borough: Franco Ravizzoli, Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, Franklin Domi, Kane Wills (Capt), Kiran Khinda-John, Steven James, Dean Cox (Stephane Bombelenga 83′), Greg Luer, Jack Skinner, Charlie Walker, James Ferry (Jethro Hanson 57′).

Scorer – Charlie Walker (2′).

Billericay Town: Alan Julian, Louis Ramsey (Dejon Noel-Williams 67′), Harry Hudson, Ronnie Henry (Capt), Alfie Potter, Jacob Cook (Jamie O’Hara 87′), Jake Robinson (Dinesh Gillela 76′), Jack Paxman, Femi Akinwande, Adeyinka Cole, Michael Chambers.

Scorer – Jack Paxman (46′).