Billericay Town 1 Carshalton Athletic 1 - Stevenson leveller cancels out first half strike from Ilic as points shared at New Lodge

Isthmian League Premier, Saturday 25th March

Non-League Day 2023 saw me over at New Lodge for a mid-table battle in the Isthmian Premier and saw the points shared after Bradley Stevenson’s lovely strike in the 79^th minute meant Billericay Town picked up a point at home to Carshalton Athletic, this after the visitors saw Stefan Ilic curl them ahead just before the break.

It’s been a fairly disappointing season for Billericay since they dropped out of the Vanarama National South last season, sitting 12^th in the Isthmian Premier and kind of in no mans land now with very little to no chance of claiming a play off spot as they sat twelve points off with only seven games to go.

Their opponents Carshalton were only two places above the Blues in tenth, but they were seven points better off and only five off the play off places with six games to go, so they still had a good chance of reaching them, even if it would still be a tall order, and with the visitors form a rather missed bag of late, going on that they would not make it.

Having said that though the last month has seen them play four games, defeating ninth placed Hastings United and relegation threatened Corinthian Casuals and then holding third placed Aveley, but losing last time out to fourth bottom Herne Bay, which was a very disappointing loss. That is seven points from twelve since the end of February though, so not to bad, but they are going to need some wins and hope others above lose some too if they are to squeeze into those top five spots.

The Blues are just trying to finish the season strongly as they have little to no chance of getting a top five spot now, they had been on a three match unbeaten run themselves in the last month or so before they fell to struggling Wingate & Finchley last time out, wins over 15^th placed Haringey Borough and relegation threatened Herne Bay plus a draw at play off chasing Lewes proceeded that, so seven points from twelve is also what Billericay come into this one with too, so in terms of form, these two are very similar.

A hard one to call then? Billericay would point to there home form as a possible victory as they have won two thirds of their eighteen league games at New Lodge this campaign, whereas Carshalton have only won five away from home in eighteen themselves, although when these two met back in November at the War Memorial Sports Ground, Carshalton won 2-0, although it has to be said The Blues away form this season has been dire, so this would be a different proposition for sure at New Lodge.

A bumper crowd of 1,228 were in attendance on Non-League Day at New Lodge, the biggest crowd in the division on the day and a fitting reward for the half price entry the club had laid on for all, would their team follow suit and give the majority of those fans something to cheer, well they went close on three or four occasions but poor finishing or visiting keeper Danny Bracken thwarted them in what was a pretty subdued opening half of football.

The visitors had not really threatened much themselves but came to life late on in the half and curled themselves ahead five minutes before the break through Iilic, who drove at the box and sent an unstoppable effort beyond Harry Seaden in the Blues net, and they nearly netted again moments later but Seaden got down well to save, but the hosts went into the break a goal down and staring a second straight home loss in the face.

It had not been the prettiest half of football, both sides saw many passes go astray, and as the second half went on although Billericay were doing a lot of the attacking, they could not find a finishing product and the majority of the crowd were starting to get restless, however, with eleven minutes to go they found a leveller when Stevenson drove at the penalty area and unleashed a low shot across goal and into the far corner which the brilliant Bracken could not get near, and now the hosts were given a boost and now you felt their may well be only one winner in this contest.

Carshalton to their credit tried themselves to get their noses back in front but found the Billericay back line more than a match for them, but the final moments of the contest saw the visitors clinging on in what was a frantic end to a contest that for the majority had been subdued as said before, and it also had its controversies too.

Just before the game ticked into the stoppage time period Stevenson again drove at the penalty box, he was fouled, but the ball ricocheted into the path of I think Kareem Isiaka who slotted past Bracken, but, the whistle had already gone for the free kick, which did not please the home players of fans.

Stevenson then duly blasted that free kick powerfully into the top corner, but, just before he did, the referee blew his whistle to stop play, meaning that goal did not stand either, and that really infuriated the home fans and players once again, and in fact skipper Michael Chambers was booked for his protests, and the game remained level.

Stevenson then fired another brilliant free kick at goal but this time Bracken was equal to it, palming over a swerving effort, and soon after deep into stoppage time Chambers somehow headed over after beating his marker, and alas the hosts would not find that winner and had to settle for a share of the spoils, Carshalton were just relieved to hear that full time whistle and head back to Surrey with something to show. It’s a point that doesn’t really help either side though as the play off’s for both seem a pretty difficult task now, in The Blues case almost an impossible one.

Full time Billericay Town 1 Carshalton Athletic 1

 

Let’s have a look to see what else went on in the division today:-

Aveley 1 Brightlingsea Regent 1 (Kelly’s 83^rd minute goal saw hosts Aveley rescue a point at home to Regent, this after Russell had given the visitors a 54^th minute lead)

Bishop’s Stortford 2 Bognor Regis Town 0 (Goals from Merrifield and Olufemi helped promotion and title chasing Stortford to all three points at home to Bognor Regis Town)

Bowers & Pitsea 3 Folkestone Invicta 1 (Bowers & PItsea grabbed a huge win in their battle against the drop after a brace from Vale-Aviero and one from Benedict helped them to all three points at home to Invictia who were level at the break thanks to Olutade’s strike right on half time)

Canvey Island 3 Hastings United 1 (Promotion chasing Canvey netted all three points at home to Hastings courtesy of second half goals from Sach, Albon and a Hubble penalty, this after they were behind at the break thanks to Stone’s goal for the visitors just past the half hour mark)

Corinthian Casuals 1 Wingate & Finchley 0 (A 90^th minute goal from Hyman gave hosts Corinthian Casuals a huge win in their battle against the drop)

Cray Wanderers 5 Horsham 3 (Cray won an eight goal thriller against Horsham thanks a brace from Clunis plus further goals from Sodje, Carter and Golding. Harding, Day and Ajakaiye netted for the visitors who stayed in touch with their opponents throughout but finally lost out)

Herne Bay 1 Enfield Town 3 (A brace from Cass and one from Cunnington helped Enfield Town to the points, Barrington did bring the hosts level from the spot in the 27^th minute but two late goals saw the visitors to all three points)

Hornchurch 2 Margate 3 (League leaders Hornchurch saw goals from Wraight and Higgins put them 2-0 up at the break, but the visitors mounted an unlikely comeback to win thanks to a second half brace from Greenhalgh and one from Blackman)

Kingstonian 0 Haringey Borough 3 (Borough took all three points against Kingstonian thanks to a brace from Allen and one from Philppou)

Lewes 2 Potters Bar Town 1 (First half goals from Champion and Taylor were enough for Lewes to take all the points at home to Potters Bar who saw a late Evans goal as a mere consolation)

 

And how does that affect the Isthmian Premier table:-

It’s tight at the top isn’t it, only two points separate the top four after leaders Hornchurch dramatic defeat and the sides below all picking up points, and with anyone possibly down to tenth still in with a chance of the play offs too, it’s going to be one hell of a finish to the Isthmian Premier in terms of promotion to the Vanarama National South.

Down at the bottom and three of the bottom four all picked up points, Regent and Casuals still look likely to be relegated even though they got decent results today, but for Herne Bay, who were the only ones in the bottom four who lost today, and Bowers & PItsea, they are only a win away from getting out of the relegation zone, Wingate & Finchley are eight clear of the drop zone so should be ok, so likely to be between Kingstonian, Herne Bay and Bowers for the two remaining spots in the drop zone, that will be tight too and nerve racking no doubt!!!

An exciting end, and both ends, of the table then for the final weeks of the Isthmian Premier season, that concludes my blog for today, thanks as ever for reading.