The last away fixture of what has been a highly satisfactory first season back in the Ryman Premier League saw Billericay Town visit a Carlshalton side who found themselves propping up the table in bottom place.

Indeed nothing less than a win would have given the 'Robins' any hope of retaining their status within the top flight, a position that they have held for over 20 years.

For Town it was the opportunity to give squad member Steve Good a rare start but the absence of Chris Moore meant that Kevin Jordan was drafted into central defence as manager John Kendall's available playing resources were again stretched to their limits.

The opening 15 minutes saw Town settle into their slick passing game and quickly expose the nervousness of a home side who seemed ill at ease with the importance of the occasion.

As early as the third minute Billy Goldstone shot over from distance and then was instrumental in the creation of two half chances.

Both fell to Good but both volleys failed to trouble home goalkeeper Stuart Searle.

Steve Blaney then saw his teasing cross beat Searle only to be hooked off the line to deny Town the goal that their superiority might have merited at that stage.

Carshalton progressed forward on 17 minutes and against the run of play took the lead.

Full back Robson's long ball eluded the jump of Marc Sinfield to fall perfectly into the path of Junior Haynes.

Controlling the ball some 30 yards from goal he raced forward and calmly grilled a shot past the onrushing Dave Root and into the bottom of the Town net.

The goal clearly gave Carshalton and their faithful a huge confidence boost and Sears nearly added a second goal but headed a high cross straight at the grateful Root.

For Billericay, to be behind was without doubt a surprise and it took the side some time to regain their earlier control of proceedings.

However, when they did then it seemed that an equaliser would not be long in coming.

Searle made a brave block at the feet of Simon Bochenski and a foul on Portway resulted in a Goldstone free kick flashing inches over the crossbar.

As supporters began queueing for their half-time refreshments, Billericay levelled.

Parratt, Blaney and Goldstone combined well down the right and when the latter's cross curled dangerously towards the near post Carlshalton's Battams handled under pressure and Parratt hammered the resultant spot kick high into the net.

Recent weeks have shown Town to be vulnerable at the start of play and this proved to be the case again when just two minutes into the second period, Kevin Smith was allowed to run 50 yards down the wing and his deep cross found the unmarked Haynes who headed home with embarrassing ease.

Billericay replaced Good with John Hooker and his introduction livened the visitors up.

Town's problem, however, was the lack of a recognised forward to support the tightly marked Steve Portway.

Town nearly squared matters when another Goldstone free kick rattled against the crossbar, the free ball dropping beyond the in rushing Sinfield and to safety.

Martin St Hilare made a welcome appearance for a tiring Bochenski with 10 minutes remaining and immediately his trickery conjured up a cross out of nothing which hit the head of Hooker in front of goal but lacked the vital direction to count.

Carshalton persisted in throwing the long ball out of defence in the knowledge that Billericay were unbalanced by the pace of Haynes.

And successful it proved too but not before first the luckless Kevin Smith missed an open goal and then Root pulled off a marvellous double save to deny substitute Newbury and Smith again.

Yet another defensive clearance was launched forward and this time Newbury left Jordan and Darren White in his trail before taking the ball around Root and slotting home the third goal.

So Town found themselves with too much to do against a home side who at least for now live to fight another day.

As the large and loyal band of travelling fans made their way back to Essex they were left with little else but to look forward to better days next season.

Billericay Town: Root, Goldstone, Davidson, Jordan, Sinfield (White), Parratt, Adams, Blaney, Bochenski (St Hilare), Portway, and Good (Hooker).

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.