For the second week running Chesham left it late to secure victory. Once again this game showed that Chesham can compete with teams from a higher level, as for most of the game they carried the greater threat, although the decisive third goal came when the tie seemed to be heading for a replay.
Chesham were unchanged so Danny Burnell was only on the bench after completing his suspension. Billericay were managed by former Chesham favourite Brian Statham and another former Chesham player Chris Sullivan appeared as a second-half substitute. The visitors had conceded only seven goals in nine league games this season, but Chesham had their defence in trouble almost straight away with Michael Bardle slipping the ball through to Leon Archer who beat advancing keeper Andy Walker but the ball went across the face of goal. In the fifth minute John Kyriacou crossed from the right to Darrell Cox who could have headed for goal but instead nodded down to Steve Wales who opened the scoring with a fierce drive into the corner of the net.
Shortly afterwards a long-range effort from Darrell Cox was parried by Walker and Michael Bardle got to the rebound first but could only lift the ball over the bar. The visitors had their first effort on goal, a long-range shot from Billy Bricknell that Richard Hayward saved comfortably, but at the other end Walker had to produce an acrobatic save to keep out Danny Talbot’s free kick, then made a double save to parry a shot from Leon Archer and Danny Talbot’s follow-up. It was totally against the run of play when Billericay equalised on 33 minutes, when Michael Shinn’s left-wing corner was headed out by Cox, and Ian Cousins collected the ball at the far post and drove it into the roof of the net. Billericay then had their best spell of the game, but the goal with which they took the lead was something of a gift, Ollie Adedeji and Sam Ledger getting in each other’s way and allowing the ball to run through to Jo Flack who lobbed the advancing Richard Hayward. Bricknell then had a shot cleared off the line as a corner dropped to him in the box, but Chesham came back and in the last minute of the half Steve Wales’ through ball saw Leon Archer attempt to round Walker only for the keeper to bring him down for a clear penalty. Walker escaped further punishment and Danny Talbot’s kick found the bottom corner. There was still time for Mark Lambert to shoot just wide from distance after Michael Bardle’s cross was headed out.
Billericay went on the attack after the interval, and came close when a mix-up between Adedeji and Hayward saw the ball come to Bricknell whose effort from just outside the area went wide with only Sam Ledger back. However Chesham came back into the game Leon Archer and Steve Wales combined to send Darrell Cox clear but Walker dashed from his goal to save. Walker made further sharp saves from Wales and Cox and Chesham had a good shout for a penalty when Russell Pond’s tackle on the edge of the area took the man and not the ball. Cox then sent Leon Archer clear but Greg Oates got in a despairing tackle, then as Archer got up Oates knocked the ball away with his hand but the linesman gave nothing. Billericay still had plenty of possession but could do nothing with it, but the tie seemed destined to go to a replay as stoppage time approached. However in the first extra minute Leon Archer’s well-timed run beat the Billericay offside trap and he rounded the keeper to score. Inevitably Billericay threw everything into attack and two minutes later were caught on the break. Steve Wales sent Leon Archer clear again, this time Archer’s lob hit the bar and bounced down and Wales won the race to the loose ball and headed in. Everyone after the game thought that Archer’s effort had bounced down behind the line, but the linesman did not signal until Wales headed in so he was credited with the goal.
