The Glassboys made two changes to their starting line-up from the previous weekend with Connor Gater selected ahead of Josh Green in midfield and Luke Shearer replacing the cup-tied Kaiman Anderson. Aaron Forde and Kyle Perry were both named amongst the substitutes after returning from injury.

The home side had the better of the opening half, but thanks to some dogged defending at times, the Essex outfit only had one goal to show for their greater possession with clear chances at a premium.

Stourbridge began solidly enough, but the hosts slowly began to edge proceedings. In the 12th minute a free-kick from Sam Deering was punched away by Matt Gould to the edge of the area where Matt Paine dragged his low shot harmlessly wide from 20 yards. Seven minutes later though Billericay forged in-front. A through ball from Josh Urquhart in the middle of the park bisected the Stour back-line with Jake Robinson getting down the side of Stuart Pierpoint before beating Gould with an angled low shot from the corner of the edge of the six-yard box.

The Glassboys were forced into a reshuffle in the 26th minute as Aris Christophorou hobbled off to be replaced by Aaron Forde with Gater dropping back into the left-back role.

Billericay continued to carry the greater threat going forward and on 34 minutes Deering fed the ball into Ricky Modeste who turned and struck a low shot wide. Three minutes later Deering swung over a deep cross from the left for Dean Inman to send a far post header back across goal and past Gould’s left-hand upright.

The complexion of the contest changed dramatically in the space of five minutes of the second period. Two minutes after the re-start Tom Tonks took a throw-in on the left short to Gater and he delivered in a delightful cross from the left for Leon Broadhurst to send a header beyond Alan Julian in the ‘Ricay goal. Three minutes later the visitors struck again. Tonks delivered in a free-kick from the right and the ball bounced through for Pierpoint to direct a header past Julian.

The game opened up after that as the hosts pushed to get back on level terms. They restored parity with 66 minutes gone. The home side recycled the play with Adam Cunnington tussling with Pierpoint and McCone for a high ball lifted into the danger zone by Deering and the ball broke kindly for Modeste to drive home the equalising goal from around ten yards out.

The Glassboys made their second change with sixteen minutes left with Jack Duggan replacing Gater. Darryl Westlake moved to left-back with Paul McCone switching to right-back.

With the home side pressing forward, Stourbridge remained a genuine threat on the counter, but twice spurned opportunities to make use of a spare man.

In the 77th minute Shearer provided a cross from the left towards Benbow, but he shot into the ground and his effort bounced wide.

Three minutes later ‘Ricay sub Billy Bricknell drove forward before firing in a shot from the edge of the box that Gould parried before McCone cleared the loose ball away and then on 82 minutes Dan Waldren met a chipped cross on the volley, but his effort fizzed back across Gould and may have clipped the outside of the post before going out of play.

Stourbridge replied two minutes later as Broadhurst fed Benbow in the left channel area and he drilled in a shot from 25 yards that flew inches past Julian’s left-hand post. This was his final act as moments later he was replaced in attack by Perry.

With the clock ticking down, Deering delivered in a corner from the right that was headed back out by Westlake to his feet. He lofted in a high ball that Gould, under pressure, could only palm down as far as Bricknell who lashed his effort off-target from eight yards. However with the game two minutes into stoppage time, the Essex side forced another corner and this time Deering’s flighted flag-kick from the left was inadvertently punched by Gould back towards his own goal with Bricknell having the easy task of converting into an unguarded net to secure Billericay’s place in the last 16 and cruelly quash our hopes of a replay at the death.

Team – Gould, Christophorou, Westlake, McCone, Pierpoint, Tonks, Dodd, Broadhurst, Benbow, Shearer, Gater

Subs – Forde (for Christophorou 26 mins), Duggan (for Gater 74 mins), Perry (for Benbow 85 mins), J. Green, Cooke (not used)

Att: 1081