BILLY BRICKNELL returned to haunt his former club on Saturday and condemn Billericay Town to their fourth straight defeat.
The Dover Athletic forward netted a brace to give his side a 2-1 win at New Lodge where a late header from The Blues skipper Rob Swaine wasn't enough to salvage a point.
It lifted his team to third in Blue Square South while Billericay slip to 13th – it was the second time in 11 days that the team from Kent have beaten The Blues having triumphed 4-1 on November 20.
Manager Craig Edwards refused to be too downbeat afterwards though. He said: "We could easily have got something out of the game on Saturday. They were the better side in the first half and I thought we were much the better side in the second.
"They scored a fabulous goal to win the game from a quality striker. They're unbeaten in 19 games away you know? They're a top side and we've gone as close as you can go.
"We haven't got the strength that they've got. they had two boys on the bench that they've bought this season that cost five figure fees – that's what we're competing with. With our financial restraints it's just unrealistic but we are competing."
Dover started the game well and took the lead when the impressive Ben May, the brother of Billericay forward Jay, dropped deep to win a header. Dover had men forward and although Nathan McDonald saved Ricky Modeste's shot, the ball broke to Bricknell who had an easy finish.
Ben May had a good chance of his own when he chested the ball down in front of goal but his shot went over.
Billericay's best chance of the half came when Jay May got his head to a Sam Lechemere cross only for the ball to loop onto the crossbar.
Dover were still on top and McDonald had to make another save, this time from a Daryl McMahon free kick as half time neared.
The second half was disrupted by two lengthy injuries that led to a total of ten minutes being added on at the end of the game.
The first of these saw Dover's Shane Huke limp off after seeming to twist his ankle. The second, longer break came when Bricknell clashed with Billericay's Glenn Poole off the ball.
Poole was stretchered off and, whilst the home support felt that Bricknell had used his elbow, the referee deemed it inadvertent and took no action.
Between the injuries Billericay pushed forward in search of an equaliser. Charlie Taylor fired over from a tight angle after picking up a Chris Wild knock down.
There was always a risk that Town would get caught out at the back as they pushed forward. And so it proved as Bricknell netted his second of the afternoon with a neat finish.
Billericay didn't let their heads go down, however, and pulled a goal back.
Substitute Joe Benjamin broke clear only for Mitch Walker, in goal for Dover, to push his hot behind. The resultant corner was swung in and Swaine, another Town substitute headed it home to give his side a chance of a comeback.
Town threw everything at the Dover goal in the final moments, but could find no way through
