Billericay 0, Kingstonian 1

BILLERICAY slumped to their fifth straight defeat in a bad-tempered game on a quagmire of a pitch at New Lodge.

In a game littered with eight bookings, Alan Tait’s close-range finish on 18 minutes was enough to secure all three points for the K’s.

The result left Town in eleventh, and six points off the play-off places.

Billericay manager Craig Edwards said recent defeats had shown him that some of his players’ characters had been found wanting, and that that had been a valuable lesson for him and his management team.

He added: “In 14 years of management I don’t think I’ve ever had a run as poor as this, so of course it concerns me.

“But I saw enough in the second half against Canvey and in the game yesterday to suggest we are starting to turn the corner and I think if we can just get that one victory the confidence will return and will start getting results again.”

Town threatened first when Chris Wild’s free header was plucked out of the air by keeper Rob Tolfrey.

But K’s took control after that and went in front when danger man Matt Gray nut-megged Ian Cousins near the corner flag before crossing for Tait to stab home from close range.

And they nearly doubled their lead five minutes later as Gray crossed for Simon Huckle to fire just wide.

The half turned into a war of attrition on an increasingly boggy surface, and players began to regularly lose their footing and misplace passes.

And after a proverbial hospital ball in the middle of the park on 35 minutes, Town centre Adam Flanagan was booked for a late tackle on Tait.

It looked poorly timed rather than malicious, but it led to the K’s goal-scorer being stretchered from the pitch and in need of three stitches in his foot.

Tait was replaced by Sam Clayton and he was given an industrial welcome to the game as he latched onto Ian Cousin’s attempted back-pass, which held up in the mud, only to be chopped down by the Billericay skipper before he could race in on goal. It resulted in an inevitable booking for Cousins.

A turgid opening to the second half was finally punctured when Clayton went on a mazy run into the box and stung Morgan’s fingertips.

Billericay were struggling to create an real opportunities, and were met with audible groans from the New Lodge faithful when Micah Hyde flashed a shot well over from the edge of the box.

Alfie Wren came on as a 65th minute substitute for Billericay and quickly made an impression, firing just wide from distance.

But it would have been worse for Town late-on had keeper Nicky Morgan not raced out of his box to make an excellent last-ditch tackle on Clayton as he raced clean through on goal from a long punt up field.

Billericay (4-4-2): Morgan; Oates (Kersey 63), Wild, Flanagan, Cousins; Schoburgh (Wren 65), Hyde, Ngakam, Chatting; Brayley, Robinson (Marsh 78).

Echo star man: Matt Gray (Kingstonian)

Harrow Borough 6, Canvey 1

AFTER a delayed pitch inspection, Canvey finally found out their game at Harrow Borough would go ahead.

By the end of the match they must have wished it hadn’t as they slumped to their heaviest defeat of the season.

The game was played a bog of a pitch and the Gulls were missing key duo, Matt Game in midfield, and full-back Ashley Dumas.

Kevin Dobinson scored the Canvey consolation goal.

Canvey manager John Batch said: “It was one of those days where everything they hit went in.

“They cleared a couple off the line from us, and their keeper made some good saves.

“We got it back to 2-1 but they scored to go in 3-1 at half-time.

“At the end of the day we are not a side that should be getting beaten 6-1, and it did flatter them a bit.

“We had a couple of players who were ill on the coach and we had to change things tactically a bit, and that didn’t help.

“But it was a bad day and now we need to regroup and go again.”

Canvey: Russell, Everett, Kerrigan, Easterford, Moore. Curran, Dobinson, King, Rhodes. Heale, Hallett.

Concord 3, Hendon 2

AN inspired performance from Gary Ogilvy on his return from America saw Concord edge past a tough Hendon side to move up to seventh in table, writes Jack Smith.

Hendon’s goal led a charmed life until the opener in the 29th minute when James Hawes latched onto a Tony Stokes through ball and was brought down, leaving the referee no option but to point to the spot.

Stokes took charge of the spot kick, hammering past keeper James Reading to give his side a deserved lead.

The Beachboys were soon two goals to the good when Ogilvy produced a magnificent piece of technique to volley a far post cross into the opposite corner.

The visitors gave themselves a lifeline when Belal Aite-Ouakrim rounded Dale Brightly and rolled home a ball which just crossed the line.

AndAite-Ouakrim notched a second following a defensive error midway though the second period, crashing the ball past Brightly to draw level.

Concord continued to press, though, and got a deserved winner when Steve King headed home Danny Glozier’s cross.

Concord joint manager Danny Scopes said: “We were all over them in the first half but they got it back to 2-2 and earlier in the season we might have capitulated.

“But we didn’t panic and the boys knew they were playing well enough to win, and they went up the other end and Kingy got our winner.

“And we had Nick Skelton back after a long injury lay-off, and Gary Ogilvy back as well, and they were both excellent. So all in all it was a good day.”

Concord: Brightly, Miller, King, Skelton, Glozier, Hawes, J Elmes, Cowley, Ogilvie, Stokes, H Elmes.

Folkestone Invicta 1, Aveley 2

AVELEY boosted their survival hopes with a hard earned 2-1 victory at Folkestone Invicta.

In a proverbial relegation six-pointer, Andrew Howell got both the Millers goals to earn a win which leaves them points behind safety - 18th-placed Hastings United - with a game in hand.

Aveley: McCartney, Andrews, Read, Slatter, Russell, Udoji, Smith, Howell, Yiga, Llewellyn, Dadson.