BRENNAN SEES BLUES ISSUE BIG WARNING
BILLERICAY marked Dean Brennan’s first league game in charge with an impressive win that sent them top of the National League South on goal difference.
Lethal striker Jake Robinson bagged his 12th goal of the season before Joe Kizzi headed in a second with Hampton & Richmond unable to match the visitors’ quality.
In truth, Brennan’s side made light work of their in-form hosts and if this is a marker of things to come under the recently installed boss, then the rest of the league be warned.
“Easy job this!” joked Brennan on being the new league leaders. “But no, we will lose games but for the supporters you’ve got to enjoy being at the top of the table, it’s their football club. It’s nice but I’m not getting carried away.
“The players’ attitude has been spot on since we came in, they’ve bought into everything we’ve asked of them. Hampton are a good side, very competent, well coached, Gary [McCann] is good.
“We’ve still got to bring one or two players in but they’ve got to be the right players and come to us for the right reasons. We’ll take our time.”
Billericay’s Moses Emmanuel had already forced a save from Tom Lovelock before Zak Joseph had his shot parried by Alan Julian, but it only took Robinson half a chance to strike, flicking a delicious header in off a post for the lead after just six minutes.
Against a tricky Hampton frontline, Billericay showed their defensive qualities while Jamie O’Hara, operating at the base of the Ricay midfield, ran the game with his partner, the tireless Sam Deering, buzzing around.
It was Deering’s dipping effort on the counter that flashed over and then Robinson bent inches wide before the break.
Billericay moved up a gear in the second half and first Robinson’s snap shot was stopped by the knee of Lovelock and then Kizzi’s downward header was straight at Lovelock.
Four minutes later though the right-back couldn’t miss when Robinson headed Deering’s corner back across goal, substitute Danny Waldren nodded it goalwards and Kizzi completed the hat- trick of headers by applying the finish.
The afternoon almost got better for Robinson as his shot-cum-cross cannoned back off the crossbar.
A goal for Hampton’s Chris Dickson would have been his ninth in a row, enough to set a new club record, but when presented with his chance, he couldn’t keep his volley down.
Miller-Rodney did have the ball in the net for Hampton but to compound their day, he was offside.
Hampton boss Gary McCann said: “We need to dust ourselves down and go again. I don’t think you can take any positives out of a defeat because it’s about winning. We’ve come up short today against a very good side.” STAR MAN: Jamie O’Hara (Billericay) ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★