Carshalton Athletic  1-0  Billericay Town

East Thurrock United  3-0  Cray Wanderers

Ware  5-5  Brentwood Town

Bury  1-1  Southend United

Morecambe  2-2  Dagenham & Redbridge

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FULL TIME:  So Billericay’s recent run of victories has come to a grinding halt in the most unlikeliest of places.  Full credit to Carshalton Athletic, though, they fully deserved their win, by far the better side in the first half, and rarely troubled in the second.  Craig Edwards will spend a long time having to re-evaluate some of his squad.  Yet again.

5 – Carshalton 1-0 Billericay – Full Time

Never mind, another day, another dollar.  Unitl the next time, enjoy yourselves, and your football

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90th min  + 4 – And ‘Ricay’s misery is complete with Ricky Sappleton sent off for a crude tackle as Carshalton counted down the clock.

90th min – And as injury time drifts towards us, play is less and less around the Carshalton box and further upfield.  Except for a throw in on the left which comes to nothing.  Four minutes to go.

85th min – And from there, play switches downfield.  Another Town corner on the right, for a split second panic in the home six yard box, but it is eventually cleared.  Bah.

84th min – Alex Addai, talking of frustration, runs at the Billericay goal, has defenders in front of him, and Tommy Bradford free to his left.  What does he do?  Yes.  Chortle.  Richard Halle sees to him easily enough.

80th min – Another corner for ‘Ricay, this time on the left.  A bit of pinball inside the box, but Richard Halle’s awful effort just clears the corner flag.

76th min – Billericay substitution:  Final throw of the dice for Craig Edwards as Junior Luke has been replaced by Evans Kouassi.

75th min – Another ‘Ricay corner on the right.  Another set piece easily defended.  Gaaaahhhhh.  So frustrating.  Still, at least Scouse Butterworth has been subbed by the Robins after a subdued second half, so a Brucey Bonus there.  Not that it means Sweet Fanny Adams at this stage.

70th min – Billericay are pressing, forced a corner, but nothing clear cut.  Carshalton are reduced to the odd break but, bah, are looking comfortable.

4 – Carshalton 1-0 Billericay Mid 2nd Half

Plenty of time left though.

64th min – Billericay subsitiutions – Max Lette Jallow and Joe Benjamin have been replaced by James Robinson and Glen Poole.

62nd min – Now we know why Alex Addai was released by Blackpool youths.  No left foot.  Sent clear on the right, he cuts inside the last defender, but instead of shooting with his left, tries to get into a shooting position with his right foot.  In the end, he has to lay it off to Luke Pigden, who shoots it into Kent.

59th min – Oh, so close!  Billericay have slowly gained a foothold in this game.  On the right, Joe Benjamin sends in a low curling cross.  It evades absolutely everyone and looks a certain equaliser but rebounds off the far post.  The nerves – and bowels – are well and truly jangling for the Robins now.

55th min – Now pretty evenly matched, with a lot of play in the middle third of the pitch.  Just a very soft Ricky Sappleton shot, easily collected, until …. ooh, Alex Addai gets clear of the ‘Ricay defence on the left and his curling shot goes just wide of the far post.  Yet another warning.

49th min – Much brighter from Billericay, keeping possession, and forcing a couple of  corners on the right, which ends in a Ricky Sappleton shot from about 10 yards being saved comfortably.  But much better already.

4.02pm – KICK OFF!  It simply has to get better this time round.  Hasn’t it?

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HALF TIME:  And a real bolt from the blue from the reds right on half time.  Thoroughly deserved, too.  Quite frankly, there’s only one team in it.  Craig Edwards will be tearing bricks off the changing room, let alone strips of paint.  A half where Billericay have been outplayed.  They have to do better.  They could hardly be any worse.

3 – Carshalton 1-0 Billericay

Right, off for a Bovril and a prayer mat.  Laters.

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45th min – GOAL! ….. CARSHALTON ATHLETIC 1, Billericay Town 0  It has been coming.  This time KIERAN WOODLEY was given the freedom of Surrey on the right to run into the area and shoot home on the edge of the six yard box.  Billericay are in big trouble here.

42nd min – The pressure is incessant on the Billericay goal now, and is almost becoming a deule between Butterworth and Lumley.  This time, Lumley is beaten, but the shot on the right goes agonisingly past the post for the hosts, much to our relief.  The corner from it is defended easily enough too.

40th min – And again Carshalton come.  A lovely dink over the defence on the right and that man Butterworth whacks it goalwards from about 8 yards.  Billy Lumley does brilliantly to parry it onto the bar and away.

35th min – Butterworth is being a real handful this afternoon and a run and shot on the left forces another corner.  From that, defender Bruce Hogg hits a powerful volley on the edge of the area that Billy Lumley did so well to get to and hold.  A good game for ‘Ricay it certainly hasn’t been so far (trying to tempt fate here, y’know).

32nd min – Nice work again from Addai and Bradford on the left for Carshalton, there’s a centre into the six yard box, but thankfully Scouse Butterworth’s header is tame and causes Billy Lumley less problem than a sloth on mogadon.

30th min – Max Lette-Jallow is fouled wide on the right.  It wasn’t particularly nasty but that was enough for one Billericay fan to continue his abuse of the referee.  Quite vitriolic.  And obviously henpecked at home.  Chortle.  From the free kick, a soft shot on the left is easily saved.

25th min – Huge shouts for a Billericay penalty after Ricky Sappleton is upended in the left hand side of the box are rightly waved away by the ref.  The Billericay players and supporters throw a tantrum.  I shouldn’t but chortle.

2 – Carhalton 0-0 Billericay Mid 1st Half

And overall, very much the home team the better side.

21st min – A real let off for Billericay.  Alex Addai gets clear of the Billericay back line and just inside the area rounds the keeper.  Lumley, however, superbly reaches back to get a vital hand to the ball, when it seems certain Carshalton will take the lead.

19th min – More possession and territory from ‘Ricay, at last.  Nothing clear cut but at least they seem to have weathered the early Carshalton storm.  Elsewhere, lively starts at the East Thurrock and Brentwood games.  I said it might turn out to be full of japery after all.

14th min – Back come the hosts though.  Ex Brentwood Town playmaker Steve Butterworth runs superbly down the right, and inside the area on the bye-line centres low.  It takes a desperate intervention by Callum Dunne to clear for a corner inside the six yard box, although it was perilously close to an own goal.  The subsequent corner is cleared easily enough though.

11th min – At last a Billericay attack worthy of the name.  Junior Luke runs clear down the left, and his low shot on the edge of the area is parried excellently by Dean Snedker.  From that, another shot goes in from Ricky Sappleton which is easily dealt with.  But much better from ‘Ricay.

7th min – And another Robins shot across the bow.  Corner on the right, a Bradford flick on, and ex Blackppol youth player Alex Addai’s bicycle kick goes just wide of the far post.  Have to say it, all Carshalton so far.

5th min – But then a real warning for ‘Ricay.  Harry Adanetey gets free on the right, goes wide of Lumley, but his angle is too tight and his shot hits the side netting.  Phew.  This ain’t gonna be a walk in the park, this.

4th min – First corner of the day goes to the hosts after a nice little Tommy Bradford run to the left bye-line.  Easily defended though, Billy Lumley punching clear.

2.59pm – KICKOFF!  Oh yes!  If a little premature

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2.57pm – The teams come out to mild applause in mild, overcast conditions, ‘Ricay in light blue, Carshalton all red.  Let’s see who finishes in the pink.  Chortle.

2.55pm – I like it here at Colston Avenue.  My Carshalton counterpart is as welcoming as a struggling club can be, my other half is here occupying herself with fixing her phone and look at the pictures in the Sun, and there’s been a very sweet and innocent display for some under 7’s cheerleaders.  Just lovely.

2.50pm – Team News:  Billericay Town go with:

1. – Billy Lumley

2. – Jeff Imudia

3. – George Beavon

4. – Callum Dunne

5. – Richard Halle (c)

6. – Paul Rodgers

7. – Junior Luke

8. – Max Lette-Jallow

9. – Ricky Sappleton

10. – Sean Bonnet-Johnson

11. – Joe Benjamin

SUBS:

12. – Ryan Scott

14. – James Robinson

15. – Evans Kouassi

17. – Chris Webber

18. – Glenn Poole

You see?  A few wins and all of a sudden the squad is settled and happy.  Happy days for Ming on the touchline, too, his job being made that much easier.

2.40pm – Looking elsewhere, it could be an afternoon of hard graft at Rookery Hill.  East Thurrock United, with just one home win so far, take on bottom side Cray Wanderers.  With Kye Ruel back in the ranks, though, it could just provide the Rocks with a bit of a spark.

Brentwood Town, meanwhile, already have a basement battle on their hands.  Just four points to their name, the Ryman One North strugglers travel to Ware, just one place above them in 22nd place.  Les Whitton’s boys desperately need something positive after their FA Cup humiliation at Clacton midweek.

And in League Two, out of form Southend United face a tough trip to the environs of Manchester, and Dagenham & Redbridge, who are rarely in form, head northwards, though in sunnier climes, as they take on Morecambe.

Frankly, it really looks like an unappetising and unappealing afternoon.  But it’s weekends like this that often throw up tons of drama and japery galore.  We will have to see.

 

2.35pm – A very good afternoon from the War Memorial Ground in leafy Surrey.  A nice ground, good chaps and cheapesses, but Billericay Town won’t care a jot.  Three points at the expense of hosts Carshalton Athletic is all that matters for Craig Edwards and the ‘Ricay supporters.

After a shaky start, three straight league and cup wins have boosted the mood and confidence at New Lodge.  Comfortable mid-table is an awful lot better than it was 11 days ago.

It could get better still.  After the Robins’ fortuitous survival last season, ending in the relegation zone before Thurrock’s points deduction kept them up, Carshalton are again at the wrong of the Ryman Premier, having lost all home games in the process.

If you’re like me, however, you always feel that runs and records come to an end as soon as you mention it.  Having already tempted fate by doing just that, we may have a game on our hands.

Oh, by the way, the reason why the cover pic is are rugby posts, with a football net in the background?  I just think it’s a pretty picture I took and wanted to share pretty things with you.  What a lovely chap I am.

1- Carshalton v Billericay Preview

As ever, refresh this page every few minutes, and a jolly jape of an afternoon following ‘Ricay will be my gift to you.  I’m nice like that, see.

GAME ON!