Needham Market 1-2 Billericay Town

(Sands 74’: Robinson 53’, 82’)

From Bloomfields

Ryman Premier League

JAKE Robinson's brace ensured Billericay Town ended the season on a positive, as they gear up for a title assault next term.

Robinson struck twice in the second-half to defeat Needham Market and send the Town faithful home happy.

Town left 34-goal striker Billy Bricknell on the bench for the encounter, and they may have wished he was playing after spurning several early opportunities to take the lead.

Robinson sent a strike wildly off target before Adam Cunnington’s poor touch saw the chance disappear.

Town were very much on top.

Joe Ellul had the ball in the net once again, after an excellent recent run of goalscoring form, but the whistle went following a foul from Danny Fitzsimons.

Robinson’s lob was over the bar, with Jamie O’Hara firing a low shot into the gloves of goalkeeper Danny Gay.

A minute before half-time, Cunnington had another header comfortably saved by Gay and the stopper was called into action minutes into the second-half.

O’Hara and substitute Bricknell were kept out before Ellul was superbly halted by the stopper.

But Gay could not keep Town out all day.

Ellul again caused chaos in the home penalty area and Robinson powered home the loose ball.

Robinson and Bricknell forced two further saves from Gay before Needham equalised against the run of play.

Fifteen minutes from time, former Canvey Island striker John Sands raced through and struck powerfully beyond Jack Giddens.

But a red card for Joe Whight shortly after made the home side’s task much trickier entering the final 15 minutes.

And Robinson, who had seen a host of chances come and go, restored Billericay’s lead with eight minutes remaining.

And that was how it stayed as Town end the season in eighth.

Billericay Town: Giddens, Fitzsimons, Sprague, Konchesky, Johnson, Ellul, Taaffe (McLeod 66’), Lawrence (Bricknell 46’), Cunnington (Krasniqi 60’), O’Hara, Robinson