It was another fruitless trip to Essex for Hayes & Yeading as second bottom Billericay Town slugged their way to a 4-1 victory that seemed most unlikely at half time when the sides went in scoreless.

Manager Tony O'Driscoll made a forced change in goal, with Louis Wells being recalled by Dartford, Brandon Hall returned between the sticks. Elsewhere, Adam Everitt replaced Adam Everiss at left-back, the latter moving upfield to replace Sam Corcoran in midfield and two other changes saw Mark Bentley replace Ben Gladwin and Kudus Oyenuga take the loan strikers role from Tom Collins who dropped to the bench. The United bench also saw both Daniel Wishart and Julian Owusu-Bekoe returning from injury.

The home side started in lively fashion in the Essex sunshine that gave no indication of the imminent snow shower that was to descend on New Lodge midway through the half! As early as the fourth minute the home side pressed their two giant central defenders forwards and as a Hall punch out was volleyed back goalwards, it was a well placed Tom Cadmore who blocked the ball on the line with his chest and it was hacked clear.

A minute later the two Billericay centre-backs again combined from a corner, Chris Wild heading in to Blaine Hudson who saw his goalwards header plucked out of the air by Hall.

Having weathered this early storm United started to neutralize the home attack and make some openings of their own and in the 26th minute a free-kick from Cadmore saw the ball skip through to Luke Williams who took a touch but just dragged his shot across Kevin Scriven's goal and wide of the far post.

Six minutes before the break another good chance came Williams' way. Mark Bentley fed the ball in to Oyenuga, the United striker touching the ball off to Williams whose effort had the sting taken off it by Hudson and Scriven collected it comfortably in his midriff.

As the half entered stoppage time, Wild got his head to a Dave Collis free-kick but missed the target while at the other end the home side were indebted to Bai-Mas Lettejallow who chased behind Scriven to clear a John Goddard chip off the line that looked destined to open the scoring.

It was United who saw the first opening of the second half but this was to be one of the few highlights in the next 45 minutes. Williams dragged down a poor Scriven clearance and tried to lob the ball back with the keeper out of position, sadly his effort drifted wide of the far post.

Minutes later the home side took the lead, a deep cross from the left was not dealt with and when the subsequent shot was blocked on the line, Alex Osborn was on hand to force it over the line.

The home side buoyed by taking the lead started to mount pressure on the United goal, Wild was just too high from a corner and then on the hour Billericay doubled their lead when a clearance from the United defence was nodded down to Jay May who sized up his options from fully 35 yards out and placed a perfect shot that sailed over Hall into the top corner.

United got a somewhat fortunate way back into the game with fifteen minutes left when Calum Butcher sent back a cross from the right having collected a corner and the ball sailed straight over Scriven into the top corner of the Billericay net.

Sadly this was not to be the ignition that United needed and within ten minutes the home side had scored twice more. Firstly Wild grabbed a third for his side when he met a corner cleanly and headed into the bottom corner and then minutes later May grabbed a second for himself when he met a near post cross and glanced the ball past Hall from close range.

Report by Kevin Watts.


Photos by Ray Peploe.


United Man of the Match: John Goddard.