Broadbridge Heath welcomed Isthmian League Premier Division side Billericay Town to The BodyMould Community Stadium for an Isuzu FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round match on Saturday. Despite heavy overnight rain the pitch was in perfect condition but the player’s had to contend with a strong squally wind making playing conditions interesting.

Heath won a corner in the opening minutes, delivered by Callum Dowdell from the left the in-swinging corner came in a high trajectory and avoided everyone before striking the crossbar on the far side and going out for a goal-kick.

Some early pressure from the visitor’s saw them take the lead on 13 minutes when Gbolahan Okewoye received the ball wide on the right and picked out Rio Oudnie-Morgan in space on the far side who drilled a low left foot shot across the face of goal into the bottom right corner.

Heath responded well with Charlie Connell firing in a right foot shot from the edge of the penalty area which was gathered comfortably by Town’s goalkeeper Sam Donkin but The Bears were level on 31 minutes when Zac Young delivered a corner from the right to the far-post, Donkin came out to clear but missed his punch and the ball fell to Ben Lowery to fire home from close range, his fist goal for The Bears and it remained 1-1 at the break.

Chances were few and far between in the second period, on the hour mark Okewoye did strike a right foot shot from 20 yards straight at Alfie Hadfield and 10 minutes later Liam Nash’s free kick was blocked on the line by Hadfield but just as it was looking likely to go to a penalty shootout the visitor’s struck.

On 88 minutes Jack Evans played a corner from the right into the danger area where Billericay skipper Ryan Scott rose high above Heath defenders to power a header home from close range.

A minute later is was game over as Heath were caught out pushing forward in search of the equaliser, lost possession midway through the Town half and a quick counter-attack saw Elliot Long send Alfie Cerulli through on goal, he sits Hadfield down before dinking the ball over the Heath keeper to see his team through to the next round.

Team: Hadfield, Staight, Terry, Napper (Marino 64), Lowery, Peters, Dowdell (Bejashvili 72), Connell, Lawrence, Romain, Young