Billericay Town 5, Tilbury 0

TILBURY opted to field a young and inexperienced team for Tuesday evening's (9 December) Essex Senior Cup quarter final at New Lodge. 

Dockers put out a side with numerous changes from the draw with Brightlingsea and eight of the club's U18 EJA players were called into action. Jake Weston, Fenton Tucker and Reggie Franz all started, while Fenton Everyingham, Tom Alder, Zach McMahon, Nathaniel Owusu and Dan East all featured among the substitutes. 

Another notable inclusion was Maxwell Appauh on the left wing, as the forward returned in a Dockers shirt for the match following his move to Needham Market.

Billericay crafted the first opportunity of the match inside as minutes, as Liam Nash

was slotted through the centre and beat the keeper to the pass. Nash kept his composure, taking the ball around Dion Henry, but he couldn't open the scoring, as his attempt was denied by the post.

Just two minutes later, Dan Trendall showcased his blistering pace, bursting past the last defender and bearing down on goal. However, the eventual strike flew just wide of the near post.

The hosts would eventually break the deadlock when a clipped pass over the top of the defence was beautifully brought down by Nash, before he calmly passed the ball into the corner to give his side the lead.

And it didn't take long for The Blues to double their advantage, once again through Nash. It was also a similar story to his first of the night, as he controlled a lofted pass and fired home from inside the penalty area.

The Dockers came close to pulling a goal back before the break through Tyler Forbes, as the forward collected the ball on the right-hand side and drove inside towards the edge of the area.

Forbes worked the space well and found room for a shot, but the strike was always rising and soared just over the crossbar.Soon after half-time, Billericay netted a third, and Nash was involved once more. He was released down the left wing, and he fizzed in a low ball across the face of goal, and Daniel Izekor was on hand to turn the ball into the net at the far post.

Tilbury wasted no time from the restart to attack the home side's goal, as some tidy play saw the visitors work the ball across to the right flank. Forbes was the man who gained possession, and the British Virgin Islands international skipped past a challenge and cannoned a strike

which, unfortunately, rattled the frame of the goal instead of nestling into the top corner.

This short spell of possession continued for the away side, as Appauh did very well on the left-hand side to get past the full-back and find Kieran Jones on the edge of the area. Jones took the ball on the turn and set a pass across to the arriving Dan Trendall. However, Trendall's first-time effort arrowed just over the bar.

On the hour mark, The Blues would regain control of the match and extend their lead even further courtesy of Ben Steward. Ronnie Winn did well to block the initial attempt from Nash, but Steward was the first to react, firing home the rebound and adding a fourth to the tally.

But there was time for Billericay to officially put the game to bed, as a deep corner was recycled well by Ryan Scott, who headed the ball back into a dangerous area. And it was Tyrese Owen who made the run across the front post and managed to get the faintest touch to turn the ball into the corner.

Searching for a consolation, Tilbury's u18 players combined well in the final third as Nathaniel Owusu set the ball back to Fenton Tucker on the right-hand side. Tucker's looping effort had Sam Donkin beat, but the strike just didn't dip in time, and the ball bounced off the top of the crossbar.

Dockers are back in Isthmian North action on Saturday (13 December) when they host Heybridge Swifts

SQUAD: Henry, Tucker, Forbes J, Weston, Winn (Everyingham), Franz, Jones (Alder), Balisani, Forbes T (Owusu), Appauh (McMahon), Trendall © (East).