Ben Mapp’s Billericay Town FC Articles

Billericay Town 3 (Scott 15, Collis 65, Hockey 90+3) – Potters Bar Town 1 (Anyadike 39) Teddy Collis netted his first goal for Billericay Town to help Danny Scopes’ side record their first league win in over two months, overcoming Potters Bar Town 3-1 at New Lodge. The 21-year-old struck on his full debut midway through the second half to restore the hosts’ lead after Damaray Anyadike had cancelled out Ryan Scott’s opener. Substitute Freddie Hockey sealed the points deep into stoppage time to give Ricay a much-needed league victory. The hosts made a lively start and almost took an early lead when Elliot Long’s drive from 15 yards forced Bar goalkeeper Fred Burbridge into a fine save. The visitors soon responded through Brandon Adams, but his strike from the edge of the box was comfortably held by Sam Donkin. Billericay’s pressure was rewarded on the quarter-hour mark. Jack Evans’ corner was only half-cleared, but his second delivery from the right found Scott unmarked at the near post,...

POTTERS BAR TOWN Nickname: The Scholars Manager: Max Mitchell Stadium: The Lantern Community Stadium Capacity: 2,000 Tonight, we welcome Potters Bar Town to New Lodge as we return to Isthmian Premier League action. It’s been a challenging start to the campaign for Max Mitchell’s side, who sit second from bottom with eight points from twelve matches, having recorded two wins, two draws, and eight defeats so far. The Scholars arrive looking to bounce back after consecutive league losses, going down 4-1 to Dartford before a narrow 3-2 defeat to Aveley on Saturday, despite a brace from Nana Kyei in that game. Away from home, Potters Bar have struggled for consistency, registering just one victory on their travels, a 3-1 win at Chichester City in early September. Defensively, they’ve also found life difficult, conceding 27 goals so far, the joint second-highest total in the division. At the other end, the Blues will need to keep close watch on Brandon Adams, who leads the S...

Billericay Town 0–5 Bishop’s Stortford  (Phillips 39, Dasilva 45+2, 57 pen, Melvin-Lambert 62, 73) Billericay Town suffered a heavy defeat at New Lodge as Bishop’s Stortford struck five times to cruise into the second round of the FA Trophy. A brace apiece from Cole Dasilva and Nahum Melvin-Lambert, along with an opener from Declan Phillips, saw Steve Castle’s side record a resounding 5-0 victory on a disappointing afternoon for the hosts. Billericay began brightly and created the first clear opening inside six minutes when captain Matt Johnson met a left-wing cross but headed narrowly over from close range. The visitors responded almost immediately through Dasilva, who slipped Melvin-Lambert through on goal, only for the forward to be denied by a covering challenge before Jack Smith’s follow-up effort was gathered by Sam Donkin. Stortford began to take control of proceedings, and Dasilva went close twice in quick succession, first curling wide from the edge of the box before forci...

BISHOP’S STORTFORD Nickname: The Blues Manager: Steve Castle Stadium: ProKit UK Stadium Capacity: 4,525 It’s a return to FA Trophy action this afternoon as Bishop’s Stortford make the trip to New Lodge. Steve Castle’s side have made a steady start in the Southern League Premier Central, sitting 10th with six wins, one draw, and five defeats from 12 games. Like Ricay, our visitors were in county cup action on Tuesday night, defeating Kings Langley 2-1 in the Hertfordshire Senior Cup. After an impressive start to the season, winning their first four league matches, Stortford have since picked up just two victories in their last eight, against Needham Market and Redditch United respectively. Prior to midweek, Castle’s side had suffered successive league losses to Spalding United (4-1) and Worcester City (2-0). Our opponents have already dispatched Isthmian Premier opposition in this season’s FA Trophy, cruising past Cray Wanderers 4-0 thanks to a brace from Nahum Melvin-Lam...

Billericay Town 3 (Hockey 33, Evans 57, Cerulli 90+2) Waltham Abbey 0 Alfie Cerulli marked his first start of the season with a goal and an assist as Billericay Town eased past Waltham Abbey to reach the fourth round of the BBC Essex Senior Cup at New Lodge. Cerulli played a key role in Freddie Hockey’s opener midway through the first half before rounding off the scoring with a composed stoppage-time finish, after Jack Evans had doubled the lead earlier in the second half. Danny Scopes made six changes from Saturday’s draw at Chichester, handing debuts to Dondre Abraham and Louis Hiobi, while Cerulli and Hockey both made their first starts of the campaign. The reshuffled Blues started brightly, with Hockey firing the first effort of the evening ten minutes in, though his strike failed to trouble visiting goalkeeper Lenny Jones. The hosts continued to press and almost went ahead when Cerulli’s low cross found Elliot Long, but the midfielder couldn’t adjust his feet and Jones was able to...

FA Youth Cup – Third Qualifying Round Needham Market 4 (Palmer 32, Coton 58, Fiddy 68, Gledhill 77) – Billericay Town 0 Needham Market booked their place in the First Round of the FA Youth Cup with a comprehensive victory over Billericay Town in Suffolk on Thursday evening. Harlyn Palmer opened the scoring 13 minutes before the interval, before second-half goals from James Coton, Kellen Fiddy and Evan Gledhill added gloss to the scoreline, despite the visitors creating plenty of chances throughout the 90 minutes. Palmer was a thorn in the Ricay side all evening and had the first effort of the game, testing the palms of visiting keeper Freddie Strang in the opening exchanges. The Essex side responded with a series of promising attacks, threatening when Reiss Lowe almost connected with a teasing Jack Williams cross. Strang was called into action again to keep out a low strike from Marketman winger Flynn Bobby, as the end-to-end first half continued. The Blues hit back with cha...

Billericay Town 1 (Oudnie-Morgan 57) Cheshunt 1 (Wilson-Braithwaite 81) Rio Oudnie-Morgan’s second goal in three games was cancelled out by a late Dequane Wilson-Braithwaite strike as Cheshunt came from behind to earn a point at New Lodge. The Blues made the brighter start and registered the first effort of the evening as Jack Evans’ long-range strike failed to trouble visiting goalkeeper Preston Edwards. The Ambers gradually grew into the contest and created the best opening of the half on 22 minutes, as Alex Gibson-Hammond found space in the box and forced Sam Donkin into a sharp stop. The hosts responded with a series of set pieces and nearly broke the deadlock when Oudnie-Morgan flashed a shot just over eight minutes before the interval, but the sides went in goalless at half-time. ‘Ricay came out with intent after the restart, seeing two penalty appeals waved away by referee Craig Wood before Max Jolliffe’s header tested the hands of Edwards. The pressure finally told 11 minutes i...

CHESHUNT Nickname: The Ambers Manager: Mel Gwinnett Stadium: Theobalds Lane Capacity: 3,174 Tonight, we return to league action as we welcome Cheshunt to New Lodge. Mel Gwinnett’s side have made a solid start to the season following a 15th-place finish last term and will be looking to build on their early form in Essex. The Ambers currently sit sixth in the table, having picked up 16 points from their opening ten matches. After a strong start with four wins from their first five games, Cheshunt, like the Blues, are searching for a first league victory since 25th August, having recorded four draws and a single defeat over the past five league outings. On the road, they have recorded two wins and two losses so far this campaign. Our visitors arrive on the back of three unbeaten matches across all competitions, including cup wins over Carshalton Athletic and Enfield, before Saturday’s 1–1 draw with Cray Valley PM. Goals have been spread widely across Gwinnett’s squad, with 17 different sc...

HEDNESFORD TOWN Nickname: The Pitmen Manager: Gavin Hurren Stadium: Keys Park Capacity: 6,039 Following Saturday’s goalless draw in Staffordshire, we welcome Hednesford Town to New Lodge this evening as the Pitmen make the 150-mile trip down to Essex. Back in the Northern Premier League after a remarkable promotion last season, Hednesford produced a stunning turnaround in 2024/25. Sitting as low as 16th in late October, they lost just once in their final 20 league matches before sealing promotion through the play-offs, overcoming Vauxhall Motors in the semi-finals and then beating Congleton Town 2–0 in front of a record 4,701 crowd at Keys Park. Life back at Step 3 has started just as brightly. Gavin Hurren’s side currently sit third in the Northern Premier League, with six wins from ten games, and are unbeaten in their last eight. They arrive at New Lodge on a run of four successive clean sheets, with the Blues the first team to keep them from scoring since 23rd August....

Billericay Town 2 (Merrifield 36, 88) Hednesford Town 0 Frankie Merrifield struck in each half to fire Billericay Town into the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round with a confident home win over Hednesford Town at New Lodge. After Saturday’s stalemate in Staffordshire, Danny Scopes’ side knew victory would seal a trip to National League North outfit Spennymoor Town. The Blues started brightly, with Jack Evans seeing his fifth-minute free-kick deflect just over before Liam Nash was denied by a sharp low save from Pitmen goalkeeper Tony Breeden. Hednesford responded midway through the half when Jamie Morgan forced Sam Donkin into a smart stop at his near post. Both sides had chances as the half wore on. Defender Oliver Harrison glanced a header wide for the visitors before Max Jolliffe fired narrowly off target for the Blues. The breakthrough arrived on 36 minutes when Evans’ fierce strike was tipped onto the bar by Breeden, only for Merrifield to react quickest and tuck away the rebound. Bil...