BILLERICAY suffered a narrow 5-0 defeat at table-topping Mersea Island.

The visitors dominated the early exchanges and pushed hard for the opening score but Billericay lacked the killer touch spending a vast majority of the first half in the bottom corner only for the late phases of play to be turned over, allowing Mersea scrum-half Jon Williams to clear his side's lines and relieve the pressure.

In such bad conditions set plays were always going to be the important part of the match.

Mersea were dominant in the scrum, looking very much like deserved league leaders.

Mersea's tight head prop also made a big impact with a charging run after a quarter of the game being a deciding factor.

He was brought down short of the line by an impressive tackle by Billericay's hooker Andy Goldsmith, only for Mersea's Danny Blacklock to pick up from the back of the ruck and take two defenders over the line for what proved to be the only points in the whole game.

Both goal kickers narrowly missed penalty attempts and the sides were then reduced to 14 men after a nasty stamping incident by Mersea's hooker and Billericay's second row Scott Last, who seeked revenge.

"It was great to see the level of commitment from the players after our last game against Sudbury," said Billericay coach Dave Harries.

"The players answered many of the questions that were being asked of them and it was a different atmosphere in the changing room after the game.

"Players were proud of their performance, away against clearly the best side in the league but again it another game we have lost by a narrow margin.

"The rub of the green has lost us and we need to get back to winning ways but with the commitment we showed today, I feel we'll continue justify our presence in this league"

Elsewhere in London Four North East, second-placed South Woodham Ferrers and Canvey Island both won, but fourth-placed Basildon went down 14-12 at Crusaders