Billericay Town vs Binfield - Match Preview

Billericay Town vs Binfield

Velocity Cup Semi-Final – New Lodge, 4th March 2025, 19:45

Billericay Town welcome Isthmian League South Central side Binfield to New Lodge on Tuesday night as the Velocity Cup reaches its semi-final stage. While Gary McCann’s side remain focused on their promotion push, The Blues are also targeting a third final appearance in their last five campaigns.

Binfield arrive in Essex as clear underdogs, but having already knocked out two Isthmian Premier teams, Ross Weatherstone’s side will be determined to cause another upset and secure their first-ever Velocity Cup final appearance.

Road to the Semi Final – winners play Chatham Town or Hendon @ Aveley on April 9th

Billericay Town

McCann has utilised the competition to rotate his squad and provide valuable minutes to those in need, yet The Blues have still cruised to the semi-finals. Having played all three Velocity Cup ties at home so far, the 2017 and 2018 winners have already progressed one stage further than last season, when they exited in the quarter-finals to Isthmian Premier rivals Chatham Town on penalties.

Their campaign began with a commanding 4-1 victory over Basildon United, headlined by a brace from Decarrey Sheriff. A youthful side then eased past Cheshunt 3-0 in November, with 17-year-olds Bobby Kelman and Charlie Panton netting their first senior goals, while Ade Azeez marked his return from a cruciate ligament injury with a goal. The toughest test came in the quarter-final against recent FA Cup foes Sheppey United, but Sheriff’s first-half strike and a stoppage-time penalty save from goalkeeper Sam Donkin sealed ‘Ricay’s place in the last four.

Binfield

As the only non-Isthmian Premier side left in the competition, Binfield are proudly flying the flag for Step 4. Few would have predicted the Berkshire side reaching this stage back in August, but a fairytale cup run - featuring an extra round, four consecutive away ties, and two Step 3 scalps - has brought them to the semi-finals for the first time. Now, Weatherstone’s side will be looking to pull off another upset and book their place at Parkside.

Unlike their hosts, Binfield’s journey began back in September with a 3-1 win at Isthmian South Central strugglers Badshot Lea, where a brace from Mitchell Parker and a goal from Charlie George avenged last season’s heavy 6-0 defeat to The Baggies in Round 1. The standout result of their campaign came in the third round, as The Moles stunned Isthmian Premier big-spenders Dulwich Hamlet with a dominant 4-1 victory at Champion Hill - Parker netting twice alongside goals from top scorer Rahzir Smith-Jones and Connor Jeanes. A routine 2-0 win at fellow South Central side Harrow Borough followed, courtesy of goals from Daniel Lewis and Tyler D’Cruz, before a magnificent 2-1 quarter-final triumph at Hastings United sealed their second Step 3 scalp. First-half strikes from Richard Jones Jr and Smith-Jones rendered Adam Lovatt’s stoppage-time goal a mere consolation, securing Binfield’s historic semi-final berth and earning them the Isthmian League’s Performance of the Month Award.

Recent Form

Billericay Town

The Blues head into this clash sitting at the top of the Isthmian Premier League, two points ahead of Dartford and six clear of third-place Horsham. Their 4-1 victory away to basement side Bowers & Pitsea on Saturday extended their winning streak to five, with Alfie Cerulli scoring twice, and Elliot Long and captain Matt Johnson also on the scoresheet. Since suffering just their fourth league defeat, a 4-0 loss to Dartford on January 25th, McCann’s side has bounced back in style, winning their next five matches with a commanding aggregate score of 16-6.

Boasting an unbeaten home record and the league's strongest defence, the competition favourites have conceded just once in the Velocity Cup so far. With 16 wins from 21 games at New Lodge in all competitions this season, they will be confident of securing a third final in the last five attempts.

Top scorer Femi Akinwande (10) is in fine form, having netted hat tricks in his last two home league games against Lewes and Carshalton Athletic. However, he may be rested with one eye on the weekend’s fixture against Chichester, with second-highest scorers Decarrey Sheriff and Ashley Nzala (8) likely to start after being on the bench in recent weeks.

Binfield

After completing ‘The Great Escape’ last season, Weatherstone’s side has found this term to be a bit more comfortable. Three wins and one draw in their last four league outings have moved them ten points clear of the relegation zone, with the Moles currently sitting in 15th place in the Isthmian South Central. Saturday’s victory over playoff-chasing Raynes Park Vale - courtesy of a sixth goal of the season from D’Cruz and another strike from Smith-Jones - helped erase the memory of a heavy 0-5 loss to Flackwell Heath in the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup last Tuesday.

The Moles’ away form has been inconsistent, with six wins and nine defeats on the road in the league this season. Having scored 22 goals but conceded 38 in their 15 away matches, they will need to be at their best to thwart a dangerous ‘Ricay attack. However, with just three goals conceded in the Velocity Cup so far, Weatherstone’s defence will be feeling confident of more success on the road.

Razhir Smith-Jones (16) leads the team’s scoring charts and is in excellent form, having netted 12 goals in his last 13 appearances. The Bermudian forward has stepped up impressively since top scorer Mitchell Parker (12) left for Marlow in late November and will undoubtedly be The Moles’ main threat on the night.

Head-to-Head

Although the clubs were founded in 1880 and 1892 respectively, this marks their first known competitive meeting.

Team News & Predicted Lineups

Billericay Town

The hosts will be without winger Richard Asamoah, who is awaiting knee surgery, but will hope defender Tom Bender can feature after a spell on the sidelines. Centre-back Tommy Davis is a doubt after limping off against Bowers, while midfielder Ansu Janneh is available following the end of his loan spell at Hastings United.

Following the Bowers victory, manager McCann told club media, “We will give two or three players breathers that need it,” but stressed the importance of the game, saying, “It does become more of a priority now. When you get to the semi-finals, you want to make sure you serve up a final… we’ll be picking a team and a squad that is capable of progressing, we won’t be taking Binfield lightly.”

With that in mind, changes are expected, but all signs point to McCann naming a strong XI, with reinforcements available from the bench if needed.

Predicted XI (4-3-3): Donkin; Panton, Pollock, Johnson, McKenzie; Steward, Miller-Rodney, Merrifield; Sheriff, Emmanuel, Nzala.

Binfield

For what is a historic game for the club, a strong lineup is expected from the visitors on Tuesday evening. With no confirmed team news or updates from the club’s social media, predicting the exact lineup is tricky, however, Weatherstone has fielded a relatively settled squad in recent weeks.

A combination of the side that triumphed over Hastings in the previous round and Saturday's victory against Raynes Park Vale wouldn’t be surprising.

Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Fubler Jr; Griffiths, Wayborn, Lewis, Gold; Hilton, Jeanes; Smith-Jones, Jones Jr, Esprit; D’Cruz.

Verdict

It’s a classic David vs Goliath club tie. Binfield will be up for it from the very start and will hope to catch a rotated ‘Ricay side off guard, but the Isthmian Premier’s best defence will be a tough nut to crack. A Blues attack that has scored 3+ in the last four outings will be tricky to contain, especially with The Moles’ leaky defence away from home.

Given the quality McCann will have available from the start and off the bench, anything other than a comfortable home win would be a shock.

Prediction - Billericay Town 3-0 Binfield