Leiston 4-1 Billericay Town

(Blake 17’, 66’, Muir-Merchant 75’, Brown 88’: Assombalonga 4’)

From Victory Road

Ryman Premier League

BILLERICAY Town lost their third match in a week as they were comprehensively beaten 4-1 by Leiston.

Despite taking an early lead, Town couldn’t earn the points they needed and succumbed to another defeat, following losses against Tilbury and Bognor Regis Town in the past seven days.

Billericay handed debuts to Tambeson Eyong and Chris Assombalonga and it took the latter all of four minutes to make his mark.

Only signed from Dagenham & Redbridge several days ago, Assombalonga was played through by strike partner Billy Bricknell and he beat the dive of the keeper to net a debut goal.

But Leiston hit back before long and warranted their equaliser on 17 minutes.

A well-worked free-kick was picked up by Matt Blake and he bundled the ball past Jack Giddens in the away goal.

Bricknell shot wide and Assombalonga was only stopped from making it a debut brace by a tremendous save on the half hour.

The striker hit the bar but it remained all square at the interval.

Leiston were the side looking the more threatening, as they looked to close the gap on the league leaders.

But it took a defensive mistake for the Suffolk side to move ahead.

Frank Curley conceded possession and Blake ran through to beat Giddens.

And the back line was proving to be Town’s undoing as they fell further behind with 15 minutes remaining.

Niko Muir-Merchant profited on a lapse in the defence and it was 3-1.

Olly Brown added a fourth with two minutes to go and put a flattering look on the score line.

Billericay Town: Giddens, Shepherd, Sprague, Eyong, Curley, Fitzsimons, Taaffe (Hubble), Johnson (Krasniqi), Bricknell, Assombalonga (Layne), Seymour