A crowd of over 500 saw a rousing F.A.Cup tie which saw us a goal up at the interval ,before the visitors had the better of the second half and equalised midway through the session, but we held on and almost snatched the winner right at the end, and now face a tough task in the replay at Billericay’s AGP Arena on Tuesday.
The visitors have an experienced squad which has been assembled by owner/manager Glenn Tamplin and are leading the Bostic League with the aim of a place in the Football League in the next few years, and, although we are in a higher league, we started the game as underdogs.
The first half was evenly matched with neither side able to get a decent shot on target, although Theophanous should have done better when heading onto the bar from yards out. Marcus Beauchamp in the home goal dealing confidently with anything which came his way would later take the plaudits for MOM. The tricky midfielder Sam Deering was involved with most of the Billericay attacks , but Louie Soared looked dangerous from a couple of corners which eventually came to nothing with both defences standing firm.
However, we took the lead after 35 minutes when Paul Konchesky handled a cross from Rhys Tyler and Stefan Brown scored from his usual immaculate penalty to send us in at the interval a goal ahead.
The visitors came out of the blocks at the start of the second half determined to get back in the game and gained two or three early corners, but we defended well and kept them at bay, without creating anything up front, but we had a set-back when Callum Willmoth limped off to be replaced by Jordan Simpson and the visitors equalised midway through the half when substitute Ricky Modeste scored from close range after a fantastic initial save from Beauchamp after Bricknell had headed at him from close range to set up a rip-roaring finish.
The visitors looked the stronger side and they appealed for a penalty when Modeste went down, not for the first time, but he was booked for diving, but it was Alan Julian in the other goal who saved his side with a terrific save from Harvey Read in the dying seconds and again moments after from Jamal Lawrence to end the game with the honours even and send us to Essex for the replay.

Team; Marcus Beauchamp,, Rhys Tyler, Diak John(Paul Stonehouse), Ian Herring, Harvey Read, Scott Rees, James Clark, Callum Willmoth (Jordan Simpson),Stefan Brown, Nicholas Bignall(Jamal Lawrence) Louie Soares.
Subs ;James Rusby, Jon Boardman, Luke Hopper, Matt Partridge.