Billericay Town 4-3 Margate

From New Lodge

Ryman Premier League

 

BILLERICAY Town scored two injury-time goals to record a thrilling win over promotion-chasing Margate and keep their own faint play-off hopes alive.

A header from Rowan Liburd deep into added time completed a remarkable game, which had seen Billericay lead at half-time before Margate held a 3-2 advantage going into the 90th minute.

The game started at breakneck speed with Affy Obafemi causing problems in place of the absent Ricky Sappleton.

The crossbar was proving to be a formidable barrier in the early stages, as Cyrus Mahler and Liburd were both denied but Obafemi was in the right place to open the scoring.

Craig Edwards’ men were pouring forward, with Harry Baker the next man to come close but third-placed Margate, who will compete in this year’s play-offs, hit back when Ben Gerring struck a neat volley past Joe Wright to level the scores.

Six minutes later, Town were again in front and it was Obafemi on the score sheet once again.

A quick counter-attack saw Baker fire in a low cross that Obafemi guided home.

Into the second-half, Margate were the team on top and they brought parity on the hour mark.

John Beales hit low into the corner from the edge of the box before Zac Attwood was denied by the outside of the post soon after.

And with 12 minutes to go it appeared as though Margate had struck the decisive blow.

Wright clattered into Attwood in the penalty area and he sent the Town stopper the wrong way to make it 3-2.

The game appeared to be won but, as 90 minutes arrived, so did on-loan Millwall defender Keaton Wood’s first goal for the club, as he poked home from inside the box.

Margate skipper Jamie Stuart was dismissed for dissent, with loud appeals that Wood had equalised from an offside position, and Town made their extra man count.

Glenn Poole sent in a corner and Liburd rose to send the home fans into euphoria.

Town are five points off the final play-off place with only two games to go.

 

Billericay Town: Wright, Williams, Nesbitt, Edwards, Wood, Sheehan (Halle), Mahler, Poole, Baker (Mashingaidze), Liburd, Obafemi