Chelmsford City 5 Billericay Town 1

Vanarama National League South, Wednesday 26th December 2018

Rhys Murphy netted a hat-trick for hosts Chelmsford City as they thrashed near neighbours Billericay Town in their Boxing Day showdown at the Melbourne Community Stadium.

The hosts didn’t take long to get their noses in front when Scott Fenwick ran onto a cut-back into his path and sent a brilliant left footed effort beyond Alan Julian and into the corner of the net, whilst down the other end after this the visitors saw Ross Lafayette get in behind but miscue his effort into the grateful hands of Ashley Maynard-Brewer.

Lafayette then tested keeper Maynard-Brewer moments later as the Blues looked to quickly get on level terms, but they then found themselves two goals behind after only 16 minutes when Thomas Wraight saw his free-kick deflect, wrong footing Julian and end up in the corner of the net as City already had a two-goal cushion.

City then created further chances to increase their lead, firstly when a close-range effort was beaten away by Julian before another effort saw a looping header fall the wrong side of the post, and then the visitors saw Maynard-Brewer claw away a dangerous ball into the back post, but City still held that two goal lead.

And in the 27^th minute that lead did increase as a wonderful team move ended with a ball into the path of Murphy who sent a brilliant effort across Julian and into the far corner, that certainly had the majority of the 1,404 inside the ground up on their feet, it was a quality goal and the hosts were three goals to the good.

A shell-shocked Blues saw an effort blocked as they tried to find a route back into this one, but the hosts then should of made it four but fired into the side-netting, before the Blues almost found a lifeline when a decent effort was deflected and then saved by Maynard-Brewer.

Fenwick then saw an effort blocked by the Billericay back-line, before Murphy then stung the palms of Julian with a powerful effort from outside the box, but the hosts did go into the break three goals up and in a comfortable position in this one.

Half Time Chelmsford City 3 Billericay Town 0

The visitors needed an early second half goal to have any chance of a remarkable comeback, and they grabbed one six minutes into the period when after two efforts had been saved, the third saw substitute Adam Coombes sweep home from close range and suddenly the visitors believed, and you could feel a notable tension inside the ground.

The Blues were well on the front foot and almost grabbed a second when Coombes sent a swerving free-kick at goal which Maynard-Brewer just about palmed away, had that gone in it really would have been game on.

But any thoughts of a comeback were totally flatted in the 56^th minute when the hosts swept forward and the ball eventually was cut-back into the path of Murphy who applied another brilliant finish across the keeper to grab his second and City’s fourth, and the relief inside the ground from the home fans was clear to see.

Relief then turned back into joy and relative comfortableness as City added another three minutes later when a poor visiting defence failed to clear their lines, and the ball broke to that man Murphy who fired home from close range to punish the Blues once again, and complete his hat-trick in the process.

The visitors were beginning to lose the plot rather and then saw another substitute Danny Waldren given a straight red for an appalling challenge on City player Elliott Omuzusi, and it meant the visitors had to complete the remaining 25 minutes or so with a player less.

City were cruising now and could afford to take off hat-trick hero Murphy, who received a standing ovation from the City faithful, and then both teams saw effort blocked before City nearly netted a sixth when Fenwick saw a decent strike beaten away by Julian.

Coombes then tested home keeper Maynard-Brewer once again, he had been the only bright spark for the Blues in what had been a rather forgetful afternoon on the whole for the visiting side, and the hosts comfortably took the spoils in this one.

It means City now climb to sixth and are now only three points a one place behind their opponents, and victory for City in the return fixture on new years day would see them go above them on goal difference, oooooh.

Full Time Chelmsford City 5 Billericay Town 1