Match Report

After making a string of excellent saves to keep Billericay in this FA Cup 4th qualifying round tie, former Sutton goalkeeper Alan Julian appeared in the opposite penalty area to grab a dramatic injury time equaliser and take the tie to a replay at New Lodge. But for Julian’s efforts Sutton, who at times played with as much fluency as they have all season, would have had their place in the first round draw sewn up well before the end, and while Sutton’s finishing was also found wanting on occasions, there was little their players could have done in a number of the situations which saw the keeper deny them.

It was an entertaining cup tie, with Sutton grabbing the early initiative when Craig Eastmond, superb in the right back vacancy created by Dale Bennett’s retirement, beat a defender to a diagonal pass that followed a slick Sutton passing movement, before crossing low and although Tommy Wright was unable to convert at the near post Omar Bugiel, preferred to Aaron Jarvis up front, came in at the far post to shoot home despite a defender’s best efforts.

Sutton continued on the front foot, although they survived a scare when Jake Robinson survived a tight offside call to run on to a Moses Emmanuel chip but miscued his volley badly wide, and putting the visitors under pressure as they tried to play the ball out from the back often saw them gain possession in good positions, but Julian came to his defence’s rescue with fine saves from the impressive Kyel Reid and Harry Beautyman’s low shot.

It wasn’t just Julian showing his qualities as a goalkeeper, as just before half time Jamie Butler leapt to his left to tip on to the post a 20-yard Sam Deering effort which was heading for the top corner.

The second half continued in similar vein, with Sutton lively in attack and creating a number of chances, but Julian again denied Reid after he had been put through on the left, and then turned away a rising drive from David Ajiboye, who also sent two shots wide from just outside the penalty area. When Aaron Jarvis replaced Bugiel with just under a quarter of the game to go his first involvement was to meet a Rob Milsom free kick with a header which again found Julian in the way. The substitute shouldn’t have given the keeper a chance, though, when Tommy Wright’s unselfish pass found him free in front of goal and he put his shot too close to Julian.

Still in the game and seeing their chances of forcing a replay, Billericay began to push players forward and Jordan Parkes, no stranger to against Sutton, saw a free kick come back off the post before heading wide when unmarked in front of goal.

That seemed to be Billericay’s last chance, but in the second of four minutes of stoppage time they had one more, in controversial circumstances as referee Declan Bourne decided that Ronnie Henry’s intervention to stop Harry Beautyman didn’t amount to a pass to Julian when he stood back to allow the keeper to pick it up. As U’s protested Julian launched a counter attack which ended with Odysseus Alfa being fouled by Reid, and when Parkes floated in the free kick it was the giant pink-clad goalkeeper who went forward to send a header down to Butler’s right and spark wild celebrations in the Billericay ranks.

Billericay: A Julian, B Nunn(sub J Paxman 76), A Kransniqi(sub A Potter H-T), T Kefelas, R Henry, S Deering, M Emmanuel, D Loft, J Robinson, J Parkes, O Alfa(sub L Ramsay 90+3). Subs n/u E Agboola, A Laurent, J Reynolds, S Egole. Booked: Kransniqi.