There is no denying that the AGP Arena is an impressive stadium for Conference South Level. It's an excellent set-up and the club appears well run. They could do with revising their pricing policies for food, but if you're getting over a thousand through the gate every other week, then that's probably low on their list of priorities.
Moving to the game, both sides had impressive results at the weekend, and Concord and Billericay would be keen to keep that early season momentum going. Billericay are a good team. Pacy. Goal machines up front and a solid back four. However this season it is a completely different Concord Rangers. Fuck me they're well coached. Every player knows his role. One presses, the rest press. I'm not saying last season the side was a ramshackled old unit, but this year it's like chalk and cheese. Concord went to the favourite's for the title, and they stood toe to toe with them, and didn't look inferior in the slightest.
You could see the respect that each side had for the opposition, there was no quarter given or asked. If you lost the ball, you weren't getting it back for a while. Press all you like, we're keeping the ball under pressure. I saw some local reporters called the first half uneventful. I would have called it an exceptional standard of football for Conference South Level.
A quick word about the refereeing again sadly. I've seen two league games at this level this season now, and the standard is shocking. I know it's a hard job to be referee, but no-one has asked these guys to be referee's, it's their own choice. Be better at your job!
As the second half wore on, Concord were frustrating their illustrious neighbours. For me Billericay rolled the dice too early with their substitutions, and this played more and more into Concord's hands. The early withdrawal of the pacy Adam Coombes, helped Concord press higher up the pitch, and as the half wore on, Concord were applying more pressure further up the pitch. Don't ask me what minute I lost my head, but when Alex Wall thumped home a free kick to give Concord the lead, I celebrated it more than any goal in the last five seasons. Little Concord were rubbing Billericay's noses in it.
Billericay got a leveller in injury time. If we're being honest about it, a draw was a fair result, but I've seen a Concord that I've never seen before. It's only early days, but and I think I can speak for a number of Concord fans, Sammy Moore is building something here. Our merry band of supporters should tell their mates to come along, as this season could bring something special.
#YAMC
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