Saturday saw another exciting draw for Town fans to savour.

Bromley, 21st and struggling to score goals though are a barely average side, and showed little enterprise despite their parlous position.

Town, however, contrived to go 2-0 behind and it was 80 minutes before they really got going.

When Town did start to play, their superiority was such that, had there been another few minutes, they would have surely secured all three points easily.

The side continued to have Dean Parratt missing through suspension, while David Adekola, strike partner to Steve Portway, was out having finally succumbed to injury following several games where he has been seen to hobbling about.

For their part Bromley gave a debut to on-loan striker Colin Simpson from Leyton Orient.

And it was Simpson who impressed early on as the hosts went all out for an early goal.

Dave Root in the Town goal had several shots to deal with and twice had to punch clear.

Dean Wordsworth, a player with a Town career of a handful of games, should have scored after five minutes but, faced with an open goal, he blasted the ball against the bar from about six yards out.

Town survived the early onslaught and to a large extent controlled play without ever looking consistently dangerous.

A 15th minute Billy Goldstone effort nearly crept in at the far corner, but home goalkeeper Danny Harwood, was equal to it. Martin St Hilaire blasted the loose ball well over.

Simon Bochenski was then unlucky with a bobbling through ball on 32 minutes as Harwood collected easily.

Bromley meantime showed some little endeavour but gradually increased belief in themselves as Town lacked any real penetrating power.

The two minutes before half time were the most telling of the half. On 43 minutes a wonderful ball tossed over the defence found Portway who majestically headed goalward. Harwood was beaten, but the woodwork denied the Billericay man.

The next attack was at the other end and Marc Sinfield was penalised for holding down a Bromley player inside the box.

Wordsworth side footed the penalty kick to the far left and into the net as Root dived the other way.

And so Town started the second half a goal down. Bromley pressed for a second and looked capable of getting it as Town sunk into a mood of resignation.

On 62 minutes Simpson headed on a cross from the right and Root had to be at his best to push the ball over for a corner.

A short corner was taken and the returned ball was cleared. Dean Francis turned to fire the loose ball home from just inside the box to establish a two goal lead.

Town at this stage looked well beaten and simply not capable of fighting back.

Whether invigorated by a denied penalty when Portway was pushed off a through ball on 78 minutes, or by the knowledge that they had come from two behind in the fixture at New Lodge earlier in the season, we will probably never know.

It remains the fact though, that they played better football in the remaining ten minutes than for the first 80.

In the 80th minute John Hooker made progress down the left and crossed. Bochenski received the ball and laid it off quickly into the path of Steve Blaney.

He slotted the ball between Harwood and his right hand post with such ease that one was left to ponder why it had not happened before.

Town became unstoppable and Harwood's goal came under siege.

This commitment left gaps at the back and Mark Tomkins ought to have tested Root, while substitute Steve White was then beaten in a one-to-one with the Town custodian.

It was entirely fitting that Portway's perseverance should bring reward on 89 minutes. Left with the ball in an apparently impossible position to the right of the goal, he looked up and lobbed the tall Harwood with amazing skill, no doubt seeking to avoid another connection with the woodwork.

This he achieved, the ball finding the far corner despite the goalkeeper obscuring the goal.

So a 2-2 draw from a game the Town might have won easily, but from which, in the event, they would be pleased to have taken home a point.

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

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