New manager in the stands as Town defeated at Sutton

SUTTON UNITED 2

BILLERICAY TOWN 1

(Ryman League Premier Division)

BILLERICAY completed their league campaign on Saturday with a visit to runners-up Sutton United.

Having performed heroics in recent weeks to pull clear of the relegation dogfight, Town's injury-ravaged squad could be excused for playing as though they had half a mind on their summer break.

With Sutton secure in second place there was a decidedly end-of-term feel to proceedings with neither side displaying the urgency seen in their earlier game at New Lodge.

Billericay, with newly-appointed manager Craig Edwards watching on from the stands, saw winger Danny Green pull up in the warm-up to be replaced by Harrison Chatting.

Other than that they were unchanged from Tuesday's win over Aveley with a number of first-teamers missing through injury.

In the April sunshine, it was Sutton who made most of the running in the opening exchanges.

Then they took the lead when Antony Joseph netted the rebound after Ian Cousins had made another of the goal-line clearances that have been his speciality this season, this time to deny Wayne Shaw's header.

The home side doubled their lead on the half hour mark when Joseph's cross was turned in by Matt Hann.

Billericay had offered little threat in the first half and they were clearly missing Green's creative influence on the wing, but they started to come into the game more after the break with Danny Charge and Simon Thomas both going close and seeing efforts saved by Wayne Shaw.

Billericay finally managed to pull a goal back when Chris Wild, by now playing at centre forward, nodded down a corner to Ryan O'Rawe who swept home to score his first goal in a Billericay shirt.

The Blues were unable to find an equaliser and when the final whistle blew, it brought the curtain down on a season that most of the travelling support will want to forget.

The recent performances in pulling away from the bottom four will give the Blues support cause for optimism for next year and with an experienced manager in Edwards at the helm they can start to look forward to the start of pre-season in July.