The Blues of N12 travel to the Blues of CM12 on Saturday, and both sides are in great form as we enter the final furlong of the season. Billericay are top of the table, with a playoff position all but guaranteed, and the title well within their sights. Wingate & Finchley have had a strong resurgence from a mid-season slump and are sat 10th, eight points off the playoffs with seven games remaining.
Our Opponents
Billericay Town's history dates back nearly 150 years, playing their football in the non-league pyramid throughout. The club made headlines in recent years with the high-profile signings of ex-Premier League players such as Paul Konchesky, Jermaine Pennant and Jamie O'Hara. During this time, the club were promoted as champions of the Isthmian Premier League in 2017/18. The following season, the club nearly earned a playoff place in their first season in the National League South but fell just short. After a couple of COVID-affected seasons, Billericay were subsequently relegated from the National League South in 2021/22, finishing in bottom place. In their first season back at this level, the Essex side had a solid if unspectacular season, finishing 10th place, however never really able to challenge the playoff places throughout the season.
Last season, it was an improved league performance, as Billericay ended up in 6th place, however they missed out on the final playoff position by just three points. It was a disappointing conclusion to a largely successful season; they sat in the playoff positions for six months from October through to the start of March where a spell of poor form during February and March saw them lose eight out of ten league matches and ensured that they dropped out of the playoff places. Billericay turned a corner at the end of the season and won their final six matches in a row but it wasn't enough to force their way back into the playoffs when the table was finalised.
This season, it looks as if Ricay will go one better than last, and will still harbour hopes of going the whole way and securing the title, like they did back in 2017/18. Billericay are currently top of the pile, with 72 points from 35 matches (W21 D9 L5). In terms of the title race, they are two points above Dartford and six points above Horsham in 3rd place. Five defeats means Billericay have lost the fewest games this season, and conceding 34 goals confirms them as having the best defence in the league so far this campaign.
Head to Head
Last season, Wingate & Finchley managed to do the double over Billericay, with both games ending 2-1. At the Maurice Rebak Stadium in December last year, goals from Rhamar Garrett-Douglas and Elliot Long either side of Bradley Stevenson's equaliser saw Wingate & Finchley to victory.
It was the game at New Lodge which will live long in the memory, as it had major repercussions on the final league table, and in dramatic fashion. Again Bradley Stevenson was the man on the scoresheet for Billericay inside the first ten minutes (Stevenson's form for Billericay saw him signed by National League side Solihull Moors in the summer), but it was the final ten minutes where the result was settled as Zack Newton scored in the fifth minute of added time and then Joe Boachie scored in the 99th minute to give the visiting Blues all three points at a crucial stage of the season.
This season, the game between these two sides was separated by just one goal as Charlie Panton's late goal in a closely-fought match in December saw Billericay to a 1-0 win.
Last Time Out
Wingate & Finchley's last game was a 1-1 draw with Hashtag United where Ore Bello's second goal in as many games gave us the lead before a late equaliser from the Tags. This result took the Blues to seven games unbeaten and we will be looking to make it eight on our trip to Essex on Saturday.
Billericay were in North London on Saturday as they travelled to Hendon, eventually running out 4-1 winners against a struggling Hendon side, with four different goalscorers; Jack Paxman, Bradley Williams, Alfie Cerulli and Femi Akinwande. The week before, it was one of Ricay's five defeats all season so far, losing 2-1 to playoff chasing Chichester City, while another 4-1 win over Binfield on the Tuesday saw Billericay into the final of the Velocity Cup.
Players To Watch
Wingate & Finchley fans will certainly recognise one name on the Billiercay team sheet, the man wearing number 30 will be Elliot Long. Long departed N12 in the summer for National League South side Welling United, before joining Billericay on loan in recent months who have since made this move permanent. Long scored 33 goals in 89 appearances across two seasons for the Blues, including a standout year in 23/24 where his 23 goals helped to push us into the playoffs, and he was awarded Players' Player of the Season.
For a team with the best defensive record in the league, we should probably be watching their goalkeeper. Sam Donkin signed at the start of this season from Leiston, where he had spent five seasons. Previously, he has had spells with Biggleswade Town and Corby. Donkin has been an ever-present in goal this season and he is also involved as a goalkeeping coach with the Spurs academy.
For the Blues, one of our players that started the season with Billericay is Cain Keller. Since joining in December, Cain has made 16 appearances and has been an ever-dependable option for Ahmet Rifat down the right side, he will no doubt be looking forward to facing his former employers on Saturday.
And finally - club secretary Andrew Kouroushi and club captain Billy Cracknell will be representing the club and taking part in March of the Day II this weekend - there's still time to donate to this cause in support of the Darby Rimmer Foundation. JustGiving link here
Photos courtesy of Martin Addison.
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