Billericay Town 2 Tonbridge Angels 2

Match 18/26/2445 - Saturday, 29th August 2026 - National League South

Billericay Town (2) 2 Benton 1 Long 40
Tonbridge Angels (1) 1 Brown 27 Tanga 65
Attendance: 1,065
Admission: £10
Mileage: 120/926

A DAY OF TWO HALVES!

That’ll be the day that started badly, seemed to get worse but came good in the end with an entertaining game and a decent point.

It just has to be a Bank Holiday weekend when the downstairs loo springs a leak and, after much mopping, the drive into Essex is brought to a crawl at the Dartford Tunnel. Experience built half-an-hour into the estimated journey time, so the 40 minute delay was irritating rather than desperate. Just 52 seconds into the game, calamitous goalkeeping saw Tonbridge behind, is this day going to get any better?

Thankfully, yes.

A lot has changed at Billericay Town since those heady, madcap days of the Glenn Tamplin era, three hedonistic years from 2016, that brought the relatively humble Essex club to the front pages of national newspapers, mostly, for all the wrong reasons.

The chaotic multi-million wage bill with high profile ex-Premier League players has been replaced by a local consortium of businessman who have steadily returned the club to a stable structure and, this season, find themselves back in National League South following their promotion via the Isthmian League Premier play-offs.

The legacy of Tamplin, however it was funded, remains with the ground improvements in which he invested including the 3G surface and modern clubhouse and, even the blessed mural remains but now, somewhat more tasteful, with the self-indulgent elements painted over and replaced with club-themed depictions.

Tamplin remains a fugitive, having failed to appear for court proceedings on drugs charges in 2023 but the stand with the mural on the rear still bears his name.

The drought has been brought to end with some decent rainfall that had eased to a drizzle by the time we reached Billericay. Alan Dunne had Sam Corne back at his disposal and he took a place on the bench alongside the returning Bunmi Babajide and Lamar Reynolds.

We hadn’t completed the process of changing ends to the goal we were attacking before Billericay opened the scoring. A ball headed forward should have been dealt with easily, but Alfie Pavey, taking a call from Nathan Harness, ducked under the ball, only for the keeper to drop the ball at the feet of a grateful, probably astounded, Jon Benton who had the simplest of chances to tuck it home.

The helter-skelter nature of the early stages continued, in fact didn’t really change all game, with Ricky Korboa testing Joe Wright and a cross, after six minutes, frustratingly begged any touch which didn’t happen.

Billericay’s Taylor Clark spurned a great chance before the game started to settle down and, once a little structure was added, the visitors became the better side and finally equalised on 27 minutes when a ball forward was headed backwards by Pavey to Jepthe Tanga who laid the ball into the path of Jayden Brown to pick out the top corner from the edge of the box with a curling shot.

Billericay employed an unusual kick-off to restart the game with a ball hoisted so high into the sky that it endangered homecoming aircraft into Stansted, it was novel and certainly caused a bit of confusion.

The home side retook the lead on 40 minutes when a long ball forward found Elliott Long, who brushed off a challenge before burying his shot into the bottom corner.

The Angels were offered the chance to go into the break on level terms on 44 minutes after Tanga was brought down in the box but Bailey Akehurst’s spot kick was well saved, down to his left, by Wright.

Alan Dunne chose to replace his goalscorer with Corne at the break and the dividend was almost instant as his first touch in a competitive Angels shirt rattled the bar.

It set the tone for the second period with Tonbridge dominating before they equalised on 65 minutes when substitute Babajide weaved his way into the box before his shot was palmed by Wright into the path of Tanga at the far post leaving him with a tap-in.

Corne stood up an exquisite cross for fellow substitute Reynolds to steer a header inches wide.

Tonbridge survived a late penalty appeal, later pictures appear to show that it would have been another soft one given, leaving the Billericay faithful to voice their displeasure of the newly-promoted match referee, Henry Harvey, who had a good game that he allowed to flow into the entertaining affair it was.

As if to prove my point, that days can get better, a trouble-free sail over the bridge was a welcome end.

Billericay Town 0 Tonbridge Angels 1

Match 47/21/1912 - Saturday, 23rd October 2021 - National League South

Billericay Town (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels (1) 1 Modeste 27
Attendance: 866

Admission: £10 Senior
Programme: £3
Mileage: 98/2,670

A little over 12 months ago on a wet Tuesday night, Tonbridge historically won at New Lodge for the first-ever time. Sadly, the event was only celebrated by a few club officials as matches continued to be played behind closed doors as the country battled with the pandemic.

Nice though it was to be part of that small group that witnessed Tom Beere wrapping the game up four minutes from time, it felt wrong that our supporters who had seen so many disappointments at this ground over the years could only watch on from the albeit comfort of their homes via the live stream.

So we fast forward to the present, the United Kingdom, let’s face it, is still in the grip of the pandemic but without the restrictions and supporters are able to travel, on the day a torturous journey to Billericay in the hope that the magic of 6th October 2020 could be recreated.

And with a little bit of Ricky Modeste’s magic, recreated it was.

Steve McKimm has managed to re-acquire the services of Adam Lovatt from Sutton United for a couple of months and he went straight into the team whilst the absence through injury of Craig Braham-Barrett saw Modeste line up in the unusual position of wing back.

The opening 20 minutes saw little in the way of goalmouth action with Joe Turner pulling a shot wide and from a free kick a deflection took the ball narrowly wide for a corner.

In the meantime, Billericay were offering very little of note and, in the 26th minute, Modeste was found on the left wing by Lovatt in a bit of space to advance a couple of yards before curling a shot into the far top corner with the home goalkeeper, Bailey Vose, literally clutching at thin air.

Tonbridge went on to largely dominate the remainder of the half with a couple of half chances falling to Tommy Wood and Modeste.

The second half very much began with the Angels starting where they left off. Ibrahim Olutade was proving a real handful for the Billericay defence and when Wood was bundled to the ground after 57 minutes there was a strong claim for a penalty but this was waved away by the referee.

Half-chance after half-chance continued to fall the Angels way and the nagging thought began that eventually this was going to bite us on the bum as, something of this nature just always happens at Billericay.

The home side literally hadn’t had a single shot on goal as the game went into the last 10 minutes and they started to build a little bit of pressure and, so it was that the moment that never fails to arrive at New Lodge came on 87 minutes when a hopeful ball into the right channel saw the Tonbridge goalkeeper, Jonny Henly advance and, on the decision of the linesman after consultation with the referee, bring down the Billericay player for what appeared to be a very soft penalty decision.

Kweku Lucan stepped up, but his shot was weak, his aim was poor and Henly was able to fall on the ball to save with relative comfort.

In the five added minutes there were some heart stopping moments as Sonny Miles cleared away from the line and with one last gasp effort, Henly was forced into his best save of the match to preserve the points and give the travelling support the joy that they were denied 12 months ago.

Billericay Town 0 Tonbridge Angels 2

Match 21/20/1824 - Tuesday, 6th October 2020 - National League South

Billericay Town (0) 0
Tonbridge Angels (1) 2 Da Costa 7 Beere 86
Attendance: BCD

Admission: Pass
Programme: None
Mileage: 98/1,166
Match Report

The Government have announced a package to compensate National League clubs for the continuance of behind closed doors matches, but at present, the amount of money each club will receive is not known. Temperature checks done but there was little else in evidence.

Billericay Town 3 Tonbridge Angels 3

Match 67/19/1789 - Saturday, 25th January 2020 - National League South

Billericay Town (0) 3 Robinson (pen) 50 Akinwande 54 Potter 56
Tonbridge Angels (0) 3 Williams 47,78 Tiehi 74
Attendance: 831

Admission: Pass
Programme: £3
Mileage: 98/5,213

It might be a somewhat phoney war between Billericay Town and Tonbridge, but one that I guess is replicated throughout the south-east post Tamplin, but these two teams rarely serve up anything less than an epic encounter and this one, didn’t fail to deliver.

One thing that doesn’t change is that Tonbridge do not win at Billericay and despite a game in which they probably deserved to be crossing the Bridge with the points and a stirring comeback, that remains the case.

The match survived a pitch inspection, and looking out onto what would become a mudbath, left you adding the word just.

Christ Tiehi returned from injury at an opportune time with Harry Donovan suspended.

The opening salvoes came from the visitors with Jason Williams heading wide after two minutes and striking at the goalkeeper after four but the closest came after 12 minutes when Sonny Miles’ header was cleared from the line following a corner.

A warning shot across the bows from the ever dangerous Jake Robinson came on 17 minutes when his well executed overhead kick found Jonny Henly.

The half became mainly a trudge through the mud but just prior to the break, Ossama Ashley tested Henly whilst Tiehi was denied by a superb touch over the bar by Nathan Harness.

Goalless at the break was the prelude to a crazy 11 minutes directly after. Two minutes into the half, a Tonbridge corner from the right was volleyed goal wards by Liam Smith but it was the touch from the head of Williams that turned the ball into the net.

Tonbridge’s joy was short-lived and within three minutes the home side were level. A soft looking penalty was conceded as Joe Turner felled Ashley on the edge of the box and Robinson converted from the spot.

On 54 minutes Billericay took the lead when a punt forward was helped on by Ashley into the path of Femi Akinwande who cut in from the left to side foot a shot into the far corner of the net.

Worse was to follow just two minutes later as Billericay added a third goal in a matter of six minutes. Alfie Potter linked with Akinwande before tip-toeing his way through a couple of challenges before driving a shot between Henly and his near post.

All over bar the shouting one was left the feel, but a Ben Greenhalgh header pawed away by Harness reminded that Tonbridge were still in the game and following a shot that was blocked and then partially cleared, Tiehi took aim from 25 yards curling his effort into the top corner.

Four minutes later, on 78 minutes, and it was all square following the type of defending that had Billericay boss Jamie O’Hara raging in the post-match interviews. A cross from the right was recycled on the left by Turner who cut back a pass to the near post from where Williams converted.

Williams saw his hat-trick effort blocked whilst Billericay forced a couple of corners as both teams searched for a winner but to no avail.

New Lodge is much improved as a result of the Tamplin era, although the tacky mural hopefully won’t be a lasting legacy, but the pitch, the subject of vandalism earlier in the season, is most in need of significant investment.

Billericay Town 2 Tonbridge Angels 1

Match 112/17/1562 - Tuesday, 3rd April 2018 - Bostik Premier

Billericay Town (0) 2 Deering 53 Hughes 68
Tonbridge Angels (0) 1 Smith 67
Attendance: 505
Played at Aveley

Entrance: £8 Senior
Programme: £3
Mileage: 70/7,659

Once we were allowed to get past the Greatest Ringmaster on Earth’s It’s All About Me welcome to the circus a decent, competitive game of football was allowed to break out. For some reason, I know not why or care, Tamplin didn’t take his place in the dug-out but still wanted his share of the limelight so took to the microphone, not as the stadium announcer, but as a “compere”. Even the microphone had tired of his voice and gave up the ghost as he continually mispronounced the Tonbridge player’s names. Tashi-Jay Kwayie is not difficult, it is said as it is read but at least it gave some humour to his fawning entourage.

It cannot be any surprise that Billericay have returned to form in the absence of The Ego and nobody was disputing last night that they were the better side but those from Kent were rightly proud of their side’s efforts.

The Tonbridge support, who had made their way through the Tunnel to Aveley’s spanking new Parkside Stadium, showed their appreciation for a great effort in the face of a Billericay side with far more creation with the inclusion of Sam Deering and Ricky Modeste, both of whom were missing from the reverse fixture a fortnight ago.

The opening 15 minutes were fairly cagey with Xavier Vidal shooting wide for the Angels and Jake Robinson bringing a comfortable save after Jonny Henly’s headed clearance only found the prolific striker.

Tonbridge suffered a setback after just 13 minutes when Craig Stone needed to be replaced following a recurrence of his thigh injury. Luke Blewden slotted into the right back position with the onerous task of defending against the lightning pace of Modeste.

A superb move involving Deering, Billy Bricknell ended with Modeste’s shot hitting the right hand post.

Tonbridge responded immediately with Joe Turner’s effort going narrowly wide.

The Angels were forced into a second substitution before the break when Tashi-Jay Kwayie was unable to continue after treatment and was replaced by Nathan Elder.

The home side were denied a half-time lead when Liam Smith cleared from the line following a corner.

Billericay made the breakthrough in the 53rd minute when some clever play down the right from Robbie Evans opened up the Angels and set up Deering to score from close range.

Billericay had a spell when they were in full flow and only the crossbar saved the Angels from going two down following Robinson’s effort.

From being under the cosh, Tonbridge found an equaliser on 67 minutes when a corner was poorly dealt with by Alan Julian leading to a scramble in which Elder had two attempts blocked before Smith poked the ball home.

The Angels’ delight lasted just a minute when Modeste’s cross found the head of substitute Liam Hughes to restore the Essex side’s lead.

Henly made good saves from Modeste, Hughes and Inman to keep ‘Riccay sweating into the last five minutes when Tonbridge threw bodies forward in search of an equaliser and it so very nearly came when Sam Bantick was sent clear but he took a heavy touch and Julian was able to smother at his feet.

Steve McKimm graciously accepted that his side had been beaten by the better side whose quality players, Deering, Modeste and Jamie O’Hara benefitted from the 3G surface but was rightly proud of his team’s effort.

“It wasn’t a disgrace but you can’t tell the players that, they are devastated. I’m proud of the boys, as I have been for the past 8-10 weeks ... with just a bare 14 (with the reshuffling following the injuries). We did the best we could and the boys gave everything they had.”

Billericay Town 1 Tonbridge 1

Match 46/15/1251 - Saturday, 28th November 2015 - Ryman Premier

Billericay Town (1) 1 Monville 5
Tonbridge (1) 1 Parkinson 42
Attendance: 375

Entrance: £7 Senior
Programme: £2
Mileage: 96/3,300

Match Report

It's a rather daft saying "if things don't change they'll stay the same", rather stating the obvious. But over this weekend, some things have changed. Great Britain have won the Davis Cup for the first time in 79 years; Wladimir Klitschko, world heavyweight boxing champion for the last nine years, was beaten by a Briton, Tyson Fury and a striker, from non-league football, Jamie Vardy, set a new Premier League record scoring for an eleventh consecutive match. Since most of us realise there was football before Sky television, this was the first time this had been achieved since Stanley Mortensen in 1951.

However, some things never change and Tonbridge winning at Billericay is one of them.

Billericay came into the game in a good vein of form with only three defeats in their last 16 matches and on a heavy pitch, eloquently described elsewhere as an allotment, Tonbridge were always going to struggle to put together a passing game that might stretch a solid back line.

Tonbridge found themselves behind very early in the game. Conor Hubble delivered a pin-point cross to the far post where Quentin Monville and time and space to plant a header into the net from close range.

The visitors were struggling to come to terms with the elements and Billericay had a good chance to double their advantage when Mike Fondop-Talom failed to convert a cross from Monville. Fondop-Talom went on to produce an eye-catching display. Signed from Stanway Rangers, he looks a talent and visible proof that there are unpolished gems in the lower leagues waiting to be unearthed.

After 20 minutes on the back foot, Tonbridge started to get a foothold in the game. Riviere, who made light of the pitch and his 36 years, had a low shot saved by Giddens in the Essex side's goal; Nicky Wheeler brought another save and after 39 minutes, Nathan Elder should have done better with a header from a David Fitzpatrick cross.

After 42 minutes, Tonbridge's pressure finally bore dividends when a Wheeler free kick wasn't dealt with and when the ball fell to Tommy Parkinson, he hooked in from six yards.

Into the second half, the pitch got heavier and the wind blew harder leaving both sides struggling to create much in the way of chances. Ten minutes remained when the visitors breathed a huge sigh of relief as a free kick from Hubble rebounded off the crossbar. Fondop-Talom had one final opportunity to win the game for the home side but steered a header wide.

I think Tonbridge's management would leave Essex considering this a point won in very difficult conditions to which the home side adapted much better.

Billericay Town 3 Tonbridge 3

Match 16/12/969 - Tuesday, 4 September 2012 - Conference South

Billericay Town (2) 3 Green 8, Wild 38, Poole 58 (pen)
Tonbridge (1) 3 Lovell 2, Collin 85 (pen) Judge 90
Att. 469

Entrance: £12
Programme: £2
Mileage: 103/744

Match Report

It might have been hoped that some of the humility and good grace exhibited over the last month by the Olympians and Paralympians might be taken onboard by the nation’s footballers, but the afterglow of a visit to the Games on Sunday was quickly dispelled by an act of shameful irresponsibility. But if you are a Tonbridge supporter reading this and expecting the rest of this posting to be a one-sided assault on Rob Swaine then read no further.

As the game was heading towards its last five minutes and after being clearly second best for the best part of 80 minutes, Tonbridge were handed the lifeline of a penalty which was converted by Frannie Collin. As the tide changed and Tonbridge went in search of an unlikely point, Swaine went to ground, not for the first time, following a challenge from George Purcell. From my vantage point it looked as though he went down very easily and this clearly incensed the majority of Tonbridge fans positioned behind the goal who saw the summoning of the physio to the field as nothing more than time-wasting. They gave the Billericay captain absolute dogs-abuse and when he got to his feet he gestured to them with his back to the referee that he had dived and this served to further wind up the visiting supporters. The abuse continued and when Swaine turned to face his own goal following another clearance he spat in the direction of the Tonbridge supporters. This I saw clearly, in my opinion he did not spit with any venom that was likely to reach any of those behind the goal, I would say it was only a gesture, but he clearly spat. Two wrongs never made a right and the player compounded his irresponsibility by getting into a Twitter row later in the evening when he admitted spitting but denied that it was at the fans whom he labelled as idiots and morons.

Players week-in, week-out get abused and do not respond; clearly with the victory slipping away from Billericay the abuse got to Swaine and the rest is history.

The game could not have started better for Tonbridge, who took the lead after just 90 seconds when Mark Lovell headed into the bottom corner from a left wing cross. Strangely, as the game had kicked off a couple minutes early, the home side found themselves behind before the scheduled start!

That was as good as it got for Tonbridge for the next 80 minutes. Billericay overran Tonbridge’s narrow midfield with Sam Lechmere giving an eye-catching performance. After eight minutes the home side were level following an uncharacteristic error by Lee Worgan. A high cross into the penalty area was dropped by the goalkeeper and Nathan Green headed home. It looked, from the length of the pitch, suspiciously like the ball had been headed from the hands of Worgan, but the keeper did not protest with any great conviction.

The Tonbridge goalkeeper made amends with a series of saves before he was beaten again in the 38th minute. A corner was headed towards goal by Swaine, Worgan made a fine parrying save but only into the path of Chris Wild who scored from close range.

The one-way traffic continued early into the second half with Tonbridge being opened up almost at will. It was no surprise when Billericay doubled their lead in the 58th minute. The hosts were given a penalty from which Glenn Poole converted after a Tonbridge defender had handled a goalbound shot.

The turn in the visitors’ fortunes hinged on the introduction of Nathan Koranteng and Rory Hill adding much needed width in the middle of the field. The big central defenders who had dominated throughout were being pulled out of position and panic set in. I have to admit I’m not sure what happened for the penalty, from the ball bobbling about in the area to the referee pointing at the spot for Collin to convert.

The rumblings of the Swaine dispute were continuing when in the final minute, Koranteng crossed from the left, the ball was headed back across the face of goal and Ben Judge turned it in from close range to the delight of the travelling faithful who probably saw it as rough justice following the spitting incident.

New Lodge has to be among the poorer of the grounds in Conference South. The pitch slopes badly and the floodlights fail to illuminate certain areas of the pitch, around the dugouts in particular. There is a small covered stand on the halfway line alongside the clubhouse in which the posters and programme covers from their Wembley visits in the 1970s take pride of place. The clubhouse is presently shrouded in scaffolding adding to the untidy appearance. On the far side of the ground there is covered seating and standing accommodation that was originally two stands that have been joined together. The overall impression is that the ground has been assembled bit by bit with no thought given to the previous structure or the next one.

Tonbridge slipped into the bottom three with Billericay a point and a couple of places better off.