Defeat ended Town's automatic promotion hope

From the archive, first published Monday 30th Apr 2007.

BILLERICAY Town's dream of winning the Ryman Premier title and only automatic promotion spot is over - but they are comfortably through to the play-offs, after a 2-0 home win over Leyton.

Following last Saturday's 1-0 defeat at fellow challengers Bromley, the New Lodge side faced the challenge of getting at least a point from Saturday's home clash with the side that stopped them getting to the playoffs in 2005, to ensure their spot there this year.

The match against Bromley was the second defeat in eight days on opposition territory for Matt Jones's side and, despite a good performance from the visitors, it ultimately proved a disappointment for travelling fans in a 1,460 crowd.

Town were the only one of the top six not to get among the points last Saturday, but they were rightly confident of gaining a home win against Leyton to claim a play-off spot, and played strongly.

They will likely start their play-off challenge with a return trip to Bromley or visit to a Chelmsford City side managed by ex-Canvey boss Jeff King.

Hampton will likely win the championship with a home success over hapless bottom of the table Slough next weekend, the relegated visitors having conceded 12 goals without scoring in their past two games.

They crashed 4-0 at home to Chelmsford on Saturday, while the other two teams in the play-off mix, AFC Wimbledon and Margate, both had 1-1 draws.

Wimbledon were held at home by Heybridge in front of a 3,377 crowd, while Margate failed to beat lowly Ashford Town (Mddx) on the Kent coast.

At Bromley there was little to choose between the two sides for long spells in a tense affair.

Ex-West Ham and Southend United midfielder Lee Hodges had the first chance after 12 minutes with a low shot that Bromley keeper Andy Walker saved comfortably.

Defences, however, were generally well on top, but Bromley might have taken the lead on the stroke of half-time when Sam Wood's effort, set up by Peter Adeniyi, struck the foot of an upright.

Billericay were on top at the start of the second-half with Hodges firing wide from close range and then curling a 20-yard effort just over in the space of two minutes.

But Bromley's introduction of Gareth Williams proved a key factor.

Billy McMahon, back in the visiting goal after a lengthy spell out injured, had to pull off a superb double save to keep out Barry Moore's fierce volley and palm away Tony Boot's close range header.

Then Williams latched onto Adeniyi's through ball but lifted his shot over McMahon and wide of the post.

However, Bromley grabbed the decisive goal on 68 minutes when Williams fed Nic McDonnell from inside his own half and the home side's leading scorer laid the ball back to Moore to score with a left-foot shot.

McMahon again came to Town's rescue in the dying minutes when he saved from Wood, but Bromley triumphed to leave Billericay supporters facing an anxious seven days. Town had not have forgotten how Leyton ended their promotion hopes in the play-offs two years ago, though, and this time scored a victory at New Lodge.

The match report will be on the website in a few days' time.