BIRTHDAY BOY ADAM IN PARTY DOUBLE
BILLERICAY still top the Bostik Premier pile after two free-scoring sides served up a seven-goal thriller, six in a breathless first half.
Hendon needed to win to take over from Billericay as league leaders, and the visitors started the game on the front foot.
Keagan Cole’s shot was deflected wide before Ashley Nathaniel George gave Hendon a thirdminute lead, cutting inside Joe Ellul and unleashing a fierce shot that gave Billericay keeper Alan Julian no chance.
Billericay hit back quickly and Billy Bricknell drew a diving save from Greens ‘keeper Tom Lovelock who pushed his shot past the post.
Bricknell was then upended inches outside the area by Cole, but Sam Deering was unable to beat a six-man wall with his freekick attempt.
The equaliser came on 12 minutes when a free kick into the box was flicked on by Rob Swaine for Ricky Modeste to head home.
Parity was short lived, as Cole again showed his threat, capitalising on a slip in the Ricay defence to curl an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
Billericay hit straight back when Swaine nodded down an Ellul ball into the box, finding Adam Cunnington in space to lash his shot past Lovelock.
The game was incredibly open, and Cole curled another shot against the bar before Julian saved from Zak Joseph.
Billericay took the lead when Rian Bray was adjudged to have bundled Cunnington over in the area and Bricknell made no mistake from the spot.
Birthday boy Cunnington was having a strong game and celebrated with a second goal on the stroke of half-time.
Paul Konchesky curled in a cross that Cunnington, under pressure from Bray, headed inside the near post.
The second half was never going to live up to the first 45 minutes in terms of excitement as Billericay looked to control the game.
Joe Ellul sent a towering header into the side netting at a corner, and Sam Deering shot went just past the post early on.
Lovelock had to be alert to keep out a Konchesky cross that was deflected towards his own goal by Samuel Murphy.
Louie Theophanous broke clear but shot straight at Lovelock.
Substitutions further disrupted the play, but the impressive Nathaniel-George pulled a goal back in the dying minutes, to give the home fans a few nervous moments.
STAR MAN: Adam Cunnington (Billericay Town) ENTERTAINMENT: