King's Lynn 2 Billericay 2
3rd November 2007
JACK Defty got the Linnets out of jail for the third week in succession after his injury-time header earned them an unlikely replay against Billericay.
Defty headed home a Michael Frew centre in virtually the last passage of the game to cruelly deny Billericay a deserved place in the next round.
Lynn, who took the lead against the run of play, were again content to sit on their slender advantage and nearly paid the price against an impressive Billericay outfit, who should have had the game well out of Lynn's reach before their dramatic equaliser.
Linnets boss Keith Webb said: "We looked dead and buried when Billericay scored their second goal, but it seemed to take the pressure off us.
"I thought we opened them up at times and scored a good goal, but didn't go on from that, which is disappointing.
"The players seem to have this little mental thing where they don't want to lose at home in front of their own supporters.
"We just need that second goal just to relieve the pressure a little.
"All teams go through dodgy periods and Saturday was probably a game we would have lost last season, but the players again showed the character to come back."
Webb added: "At home, the crowd is quiet, waiting for something to happen and it's not easy.
"Because of what we've done in the past and maybe the players we've brought in, expectation levels here at the club are sky-high."
The legs of Scott Howie foiled Billericay's Leon Hunter an opening goal in the fourth minute and soon after Tony Boot skied over from long-range.
Lynn took the lead 18 minutes in when Joe Francis ghosted down the left and Bloomfield slotted home the centre, which had been helped into his path by John Turner, from just inside the box for his seventh goal in ten games.
But as in recent matches, a nervous and unconvincing Lynn side failed to build on their early advantage.
Defender Ben Chapman diverted Boot's back post header over his own bar before the same player fired into the side netting when it would have been easier to score.
Ironically, Lynn looked a far more dangerous proposition after the introduction of both the Defty brothers.
Jack Defty replaced Turner in the 56th minute, while Charlie, who was surprisingly left out of the starting line-up despite being Lynn's best player of the season to date, was brought on at the expense of Bloomfield for the final 12 minutes.
Billericay deservedly got back on level terms in the 65th minute when the dangerous Joe Flack finished from close range after Paul Abbott and Boot had combined to feed the in-form striker.
Howie then spared defender Greg Crane the embarrassment of conceding an own goal by smothering the ball on his own line.
Five minutes later Howie gratefully clutched onto Tony Dormer's drive from outside the 18-yard box, which hit the base of his post before rebounding into his arms.
Billericay's second goal arrived a minute from time when Flack burst through a static and tired-looking Lynn defence before sliding the ball under the body of Howie.
Lynn: Howie, West, Chapman, Warren, Crane, Camm, Frew, Mulryne, Turner (J. Defty 56), Bloomfield (C. Defty 78), Francis (Nolan 71). Subs (not used): Murray, Fisk. Booked: Warren.
Goals: Bloomfield (18), J. Defty (90).
Billericay: McMahon, Siemanshia, Kerrigan, Blewitt, Heffer, Dormer, Abbott (Maxwell 79), Hunter, Flack (Burbridge 90), Bott, Lay (Wood-Garness 77). Subs (not used): Buckfield, Pegg. Goals: Flack (65, 90).
Referee: C.J. Miller. Attendance: 927.
Stats (Lynn first): Shots on target 4, 4, off target 3, 6, corners 7,8, offsides 2, 4, f-kicks conceded 9, 13. MoM: Scott Howie.