Match report by Simon Williams. Photos by Amanda Protheroe.
Billericay finished their season with a win on Saturday. New manager Brian Statham kept a watching brief along with his new assistant, Barry Lakin, and he will have been encouraged by what his patched up side produced. Perhaps the biggest positive was the performance of Matt Game in his first start since breaking his leg in August 2007. The midfielder reminded the Blues fans of what they'd been missing with a display of energetic tackling and intelligent passing.
Game may not have been given the full ninety minutes had it not been for a late flurry of injuries and suspensions with Leon Hunter, Steve Heffer, Jo Flack and Paul Shave among those players unavailable.
The home side had the better of the early exchanges and Ant Bodle was first to threaten with a shot that was well saved by Town 'keeper Tony Tucker. Billericay took a little while to get going, but they began to pass the ball at a good tempo and started to create a few chances. Dee Okojie had the best of them when he scampered free of the defence only for his well struck shot to go narrowly over the bar.
Town opened the scoring ten minutes from half time when a neat exchange of passes in midfield sent Ashley Dumas free down the left and he was able to pick out Rikki Burbridge with his cross, allowing the big striker to guide the ball past Andy Walker.
Maidstone really should have been level at half time when, just before half time, a mistake from Tim Cole let in Elliot Bradbrook only for the forward to blaze well wide when it seemed easier to hit the target.
The second half was a largely uninspiring forty five minutes of football with neither side able to dominate. Billericay wove pretty patterns with some neat and and two-touch passing in midfield, but lacked a cutting edge in the final third. Maidstone looked to hit Billericay on the flanks, and one such move gave them the best chance of the half when Ashley Dann led a quick break; teeing up Steve Elliott who shot wide.
With the sun beating down, the match petered out and the final whistle brought relief that a difficult season for the Blues had finally come to a finish. With the new management duo already making plans for the next campaign, it will be an interesting summer at New Lodge
