Post by QPR Report on Sept 7, 2009 9:59:34 GMT
Echo Billericay Town 0, Tooting & Mitcham 0
Monday 7th September 2009
BILLERICAY Town are one team who can rightly claim to have the X Factor.
For this goalless affair with Tooting at New Lodge on Saturday was their fourth successive home draw of the season.
But, at the end of this latest sharing of the spoils, new boss Brian Statham was at a loss to explain how his side had failed to take all three points.
True they were up against a Terrors side who had won all three previous visits to opposition territory this season.
But the hosts dominated throughout and, once visiting ex-QPR midfielder Aaron Goode was given his marching order on 35 minutes, it looked a case of how many rather than if as far as a home win went.
One could hardly blame Statham. He showed a positive pre-match attitude by naming an attacking line-up which included three out and out strikers in Joe Flack, Billy Bricknell and James Baker.
But, hard as the trio worked, the hosts were unable to open their account and have now managed just four goals in seven games in total.
“Obviously the strikers are becoming under pressure, but I’ve got to look at the positives,” said Statham.
“We continue to look very solid defensively — Tooting hardly created a chance today — and I’ve got to believe that the goals will come when we’re creating chances.”
Billericay set off at express-train speed with Jamie Dormer’s effort from the right, following Michael Shinn’s free-kick, flashed across goal with no-one able to get a touch.
And the scene was set for an afternoon of what might have been on eight minutes when a good move saw Baker bearing down on goal but delaying his shot too long and visiting keeper Dave King saving with his legs.
Bricknell, Flack, Baker and Shinn all missed out with good half-chances as Tooting were reduced to 10 men when Goode, already booked, got too involved in an incident when team-mate James Byatt was booked for an ugly tackle.
The second-half started as the first had ended with Bricknell this time being foiled by a dive-at-the-feet by King, who really was reigning supreme.
Statham finally ended his three-pronged attack plan by introducing winger Dave Wareham to the action and the plan nearly worked.
But Shinn curled a free-kick wide, Wareham himself had an effort touched away by the keeper and was off-target with another.
The Town rearguard continued to look as solid as a rock, even when Ian Wiles had to be substituted after a nasty clash of heads.
Amazingly, however, Tooting might have grabbed all three points in the dying minutes, but Paul Vines put his headed effort wide with just about the only clear opening for the visitors all afternoon.
I share Statham’s belief that, once they get going, he has a squad capable of pushing for at least the play-offs.
But just how long the Town boss, and the fans, will be prepared to put up with the lack of goals remains to be seen.
www.echo-news.co.uk/sport/4584096.Billericay_Town_0__Tooting___Mitcham_0/