Blues edge past Saints- whilst Rams bury Moles

Billericay Town and St Albans City met at New Lodge- and the sides delivered a five goal thriller, with the hosts triumphing by the narrowest of margins.

The Saints silenced the home faithful on twelve minutes, when good work from Leo Sery created an opportunity for Kieran Petrie, who took it gratefully (we’ve also seen this goal credited to Jack James, but the Saints socials gave it to Petrie so we’ll leave it there until told otherwise!). They won’t ahead for long.

On twenty three minutes it was time for Charlie Ruff to provide the assist, and Keon Lewis-Burgess put away the equaliser. Ten minutes later Callum Watts stepped up to put the hosts ahead for the first time, and he didn’t all of the hard work himself; receiving the ball on the right, cutting in and charging to the edge of the box before finishing into the corner of the net. 

One minute after half time Billericay put some daylight between themselves and their visitors- and they were to need it. Charlie Merrifield delivered the delight, powering the ball home- but eleven minutes later the Saints reduced the arrears, Jasper Mather scoring for the ninth time this season after Petrie turned provider. 

The visitors worked hard to find an equaliser, the hosts worked hard to ensure they didn’t get one, and the Blues took the points, three-two the final score. That’s a fourth win in a row for Billericay, and it lifts them to seventh- only two points away from the top five. 

Image from Nicky Hayes.

Velocity Cup

Pitching In South Central side Binfield made the trip to the Kent coast to take on Premier Division Ramsgate in a Velocity Cup Quarter Final. The Moles have been in fine form of late, and were six unbeaten including five wins- and, of course, had already knocked Premier opposition out of the competition this season in the shape of Carshalton Athletic- so there was a warning to the Rams not to be complacent, and it was a warning they heeded, as what they delivered was a massacre.

Greg Cundle opened the scoring on seventeen minutes, firing home from close range after fine work from Benny Bioletti. Nine minutes later he did it again, although this effort was deflected, and three minutes before the break it looked like the outcome was as good as decided, Logan Dobbs volleying home a corner from Harry Webster. 

Still the Rams weren’t done, as they had time for another goal before the break. This time Webster was scorer rather than provider, Mitchell May with the assist, and it was four-nil at half time.

The second half was, as expected, rather less frantic. The fifth Rams goal arrived on sixty five minutes, May tapping home after a Webster shot was saved, and then the scoring stopped, Ramsgate more than secure in their Semi-Final spot, where they join Wingate and Finchley and Hashtag United. The last spot in the last four will be taken by either Crowborough Athletic or Redbridge, their match rained off last night ands rescheduled for next Tuesday.