Billericay Town 0-5 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report

October 27, 2025

244

25/10/25

Isuzu FA Trophy First Round

Hamish Arnold

Five-star Bishop’s Stortford secured passage into the Second Round of the Isuzu FA Trophy with the Club’s biggest away win in the competition away at Billericay Town on Saturday. After the 0-5 win, the Blues have scored nine goals across two games in the competition this season, keeping clean sheets in both matches. Matt Johnson, Jay Porter and Frankie Merrifield featured for the Isthmian League Premier Division strugglers, who were part of Stortford’s team that won the division in the 2022-23 season.

From a left wing cross, Billericay captain Matt Johnson headed over the bar from a central position. Cole Dasilva picked out a through ball to Nahum Melvin-Lambert but the defence closely marked him, he was unable to shoot before he was tackled by Ryan Scott, the loose ball fell to Jack Smith but he shot straight at goalkeeper Sam Donkin. Fabio Virciglio received a pass from the right wing, he worked some space to shoot but the left footed effort across goal was saved, before Dasilva fired wide from the edge of the box. Scott was dispossessed by Melvin-Lambert in the middle of the pitch and found Dasilva with a through ball out to the right, his shot was blocked by a defender and Smith failed to meet the volley with a clean contact and the ball looped into Donkin’s gloves. Dasilve curled a free kick narrowly wide of the left hand post, before the as yet untested Adam Hayton made a superb diving save to deny Liam Nash as he shot from the left side of the box with a curling effort to the far post. The resulting corner was headed clear by Charlie Johnson, only as far as Jack Evans who fired a low shot through the crowded box but Hayton reacted quickly to get down to his right and palm the ball away to keep the match goalless. That was until Obi Onyeagyaar cut in off the left wing and saw his right footed shot deflected, Donkin was wrong footed and had to scramble across his goal to keep the ball out, but Declan Phillips reacted quickest to poke the ball home for his first Stortford goal six minutes before half time. But there was still time to double the lead in first half injury time, when Onyeagwara crossed to the far post, Dasilva arrived late to get a toe on the ball to find the bottom right corner from close range.

HT 0-2

After a double change at half-time, the hosts had the first chance of the second half, with substitute Tyrese Owen dribbling into some space and finding a low shot but it went straight to Hayton. Onyeagwara was fouled by Owen as he dribbled into the box, and Dasilva calmly slotted home the spot kick into the middle of the goal. Nahum Melvin Lambert added the fourth just five minutes later when Virciglio won the ball back in midfield and picked out substitute Saleem Akanbi in the left channel, who squared to an unmarked Melvin-Lambert for a tap-in. Marley St Louis picked out Akanbi who had his back to goal on the edge of the box, he picked out Maelvin-Lambert once again as he found thebottom right corner for his brace. Elliot Long ghosted in beyond the defence but he was forced wide and Hayton saved from a tight angle.

FT 0-5

TEAMS

Billericay Town XI

1 Sam Donkin

2 Jazzi Barnum-Bobb

3 Jay Porter

4 Matt Johnson (c)

6 Ryan Scott

7 Liam Nash (Collis 73’)

8 Jack Evans

15 Hamza Semakula (Cerulli 62’)

16 Freddie Hockey

17 Tyrell Miller-Rodney (Owen 46’)

21 Rio Oudnie-Morgan (Long 46’)

Subs

9 Teddy Collis

10 Frankie Merrifield

11 Alfie Cerulli

14 Elliot Long

19 Tyrese Owen

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Adam Hayton

2 Tommy Lethbridge

3 Leon Davies

4 Cole Dasilva (Goal 45+2’ 57’p) (St Louis 66’)

5 Jake Thompson (c)

8 Declan Phillips (Goal 39’) (Forde 69’)

9 Nahum Melvin-Lambert (Goal 62’ 73’)

11 Obi Onyeagwara (Assist 39’, 45+2’, 57’) (Akanbi 58’)

12 Fabio Virciglio (Akinbulumo 80’)

14 Jack Smith

22 Charlie Johnson

Subs

6 Mark Haines

15 Eyituoyo Akinbulumo

16 Harry Forde

17 Marley St Louis

19 Saleem Akanbi (Assist 62’ 73’)

Attendance 726