Relegated from the Conference South last season, the Blues were expected to one of the frontrunners in the battle for the promotion spots this term under the stewardship of former Dulwich Hamlet supremo Craig Edwards. However sadly for the Essex boys it has been a season when the club has found itself mired in the mélange of mid-table almost since the first ball was kicked back in steamy August. much of that disappointment can be laid at the door for Billericay’s horrendous home performance, have suffered 11 defeats in 20 league matches, a record bettered by all but already relegated Cray Wanderers and Carshalton Athletic. Yet away from the New Lodge it is a totally different story altogether with only Wealdstone, AFC Hornchurch and Hendon laying claiming to a better set of results than ‘Ricay’s 10 wins and 6 draws on enemy territory from 21 trips away.

That said recent form has not been good, six games without a win since Richard Halle’s goal upset the formbook away to Hampton & Richmond Borough back in March. Since then the Blues have continued to thrill and frustrate the New Lodge faithful in equal measures, Edwards’ battling bruisers refusing to lie down and die after surrendering the lead at home to Maidstone United snatching a well-earned point with just six minutes remaining as Geoff Mitchell form the net. However, that was followed by back-to-back home defeats against a brace of strugglers, Enfield Town and Cray Wanderers, the latters’ rare merely delaying their inevitable relegation from the Premier Division. Yet against Wealdstone they showed their spirit, not cracked until the 70th minute when Sean Cronin dispatched a penalty for the champions-elect, Jonathan Wright securing victory for the Stones ten minutes from time.

The run of defeats was ended the following Saturday when Billericay came away from Lewes’s Dripping Pan with a share of the point after Joey Benjamin’s 71st minute cancelled out Jack Dixon’s penalty three minutes earlier, a result echoed on Tuesday night when the New Lodge was deprived of goals as Bury came to town.

This afternoon’s game kicks off at 3.07 pm at New Lodge, Blunts Wall Road, Billericay, Essex CM12 9SA.

ADMISSION PRICES

£10 for Adults
£7 for Concessions (Over 65's and Student cardholders)
Under 16s £3