Unlucky Billericay Rugby Club have suffered a further blow to their morale after being ordered by the Essex County RFU to replay Sunday's Essex Cup quarter-final against Maldon.

The game at Drapers Farm ended in a 19-19 tie, but confusion reigned when the referee, fearing the fading light could cause injury, marched the players off the field before extra-time could be played.

Billericay thought they had done enough to win through to the last four - Essex Cup rules state a game which ends in a tie is awarded to the team which scores the most tries, and the visitors had three to Maldon's two.

However, the Essex County RFU competitions committee has decided the rules do not apply in this case because the extra-time period was not played, leaving Billericay feeling the whole world has turned against them.

Since the turn of the year the club has been:

Deducted two points by the League for accidentally fielding an ineligible player,

Ordered to replay their game against Old Cooperians because they started the match with "uncontested scrums",

Lost a further two points when Felixstowe pulled out of the League.

This latest setback is too much for spokesman Neil Jarvis, who said: "We're in a bit of a daze. It seems everyone is out to get us at the moment. We played at Twickenham last year and now it seems we're being punished.

"To be honest it's a bit of a farce. The referee didn't seem to know the rules and even asked us what we fancied doing at one point.

"It's frustrating. We would have accepted a replay at our place but, because we didn't play extra-time, we now have to go back to Maldon on Sunday. It's a pain."

The winners of Sunday's game go through to a semi-final clash with Bancroft, who beat South Woodham Ferrers in Sunday's quarter-final.

The draw also threw up an intriguing south-east Essex derby between Basildon and Canvey Island, who eliminated another local club, Westcliff, on Sunday.

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