A Bank Holiday Monday crowd of over 700 saw Town ease past their Essex neighbours.

There was little of the blood and thunder that has characterised these encounters in recent years, but Town, who had by far the most of the possession, nearly let the points slip as Swifts came on strongly in the closing minutes.

Town were much the better of the two sides in the first half. But while visiting goalkeeper Kingsley Banks was busy, he was rarely tested.

Meanwhile Heybridge got forward on a handful of occasions, each time offering rather more of a threat than their hosts.

But it was Town who went closest early on.

Martin St Hilaire made progress down the right and centred the ball, Steve Portway touched it on, and Simon Bochenski tried to prod it goalward.

But there was insufficient power behind the ball and Banks collected it easily.

Heybridge, however, immediately took the ball up the other end and Simon Parker's shot shaved the right hand post from close in following some indifferent defending.

Chris Moore had to head clear off the line and then Dave Root punched over as Swifts, belying their slow start, suddenly looked a lot sharper.

This lasted though only for a few minutes and Town again took the majority of the possession.

In the 36th minute Jon Hooker fed Portway some 22 yards out.

The dangerous forward looked up and saw Banks a little off his line. That was all that was needed and he lobbed the Heybridge man to open the scoring, his seventh goal in nine starts.

This setback failed to ignite the Swifts attack and nine minutes after the restart Town went further ahead.

A cross from the right to the front of goal bobbled about as the ball bounced around off various shins.

Steve Blaney saw a chance and drilled the ball past Banks to put Town 2-0 up. And it was no more than they deserved on the balance of play.

With five minutes left Heybridge were suddenly back in the hunt.

Billy Goldstone and Nicky Simpson fought for the ball just inside the area, the visitor just coming off best, as the final shot, from close in, beat Root as it went in at the far corner.

A late free kick, awarded for a foul by ex-Heybridge player Moore, struck the face of the Town bar before bouncing clear, and Town held on though for a deserved victory.

Billericay Town: Root, Goldstone, Davidson, Moore, Sinfield, St Hilaire (Kreyling), Adams, Blaney, Bochenski, Portway and Hooker.

By the left . . midfield action from Monday's Ryman League Premier Division match between Billericay Town and Heybridge Swifts at New Lodge.

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