The herculean efforts of the Cray Wanderers staff and supporters on the morning of the game to get the Hayes Lane pitch playable were rewarded with a seven goal thriller and three points for The Wands on Saturday afternoon, watched by over 300 spectators.
Cray got off to a lively start with Danny Bassett shooting just wide early on, and it was after only 13 minutes that The Wands went in front when John Ufuah brought down Bassett in the box for a penalty.
Anthony Cook tucked away the spot kick with confidence to make it 1-0 and The Wands continued to press from there with Harrison Sodje setting up Sam Wood who shot narrowly wide soon after.
As the half went on Billericay came back into things, with former Wand Chris Dickson firing over from a corner and Dickson again was just off target soon after when he connected with Ufuah’s dangerous cross at pace.
With the game now wide open, Yahaya Bamba set up Cook whose shot was deflected wide for a corner, while at the other end Dickson set up Alfie Cerulli who just failed to turn the ball home at the far post.
With the visitors finishing the half on top they had an appeal for a penalty turned down when Matthew Weaire challenged Dickson in the box and Cerulli then drove a free kick over the bar.
Billericay started the second half in the same vein they had finished the first, with Montel Agyemang pulling the strings in midfield and he also had an early effort saved by Shaun Rowley in the home goal.
Cray did create one good chance when Bamba & Bassett combined to set up Cook, the captain fired over. With Town now pressing again Eze Ebuzoeme had a shot saved by Rowley, but against the run of play The Wands then went 2-0 up when Mitchell Chapman played in Bassett who finished his strong run with a superb finish from just inside the area wrong footing Harry Seaden.
It was soon 2-1 though, when on the next attack Cray failed to clear their lines and Bradley Stevenson crashed a deflected shot home from 25 yards out and spark a frantic finish.
The final ten minutes would prove to be even more dramatic, Billericay drew level on 80 minutes when Jephte Tanga fouled Matthew Price in the area and Stevenson equalised from the penalty spot.
But again almost immediately Cray went back in front when Cook’s cross from the left was bravely headed home by Tom Derry diving in at the near post for 3-2.
Town came back fighting though and after a good spell of pressure were level again on 85 minutes when Cray failed to deal with a long ball into the box and Marvel Ekpiteta bundled the ball home from close range.
Ricay went close again soon after when Rowley eventually saved at the feet of Price after a great rub and pass from Ufuah down the left.
In what was meant to be six minutes of injury time Cray centre back Weaire went down with what looked like a very bloody broken nose and had to receive extensive treatment much to the displeasure of the away fans behind the goal, who wanted him removed from the pitch.
When play eventually resumed there were chances at both ends, Imran Uche fired over from range for the visitors, before the final sting in the tail came when Cray broke upfield and Bamba showed great tenacity and strength to hold off the Billericay defence on the byeline and cut the ball back to Sam Skeffington who drove the ball low and hard into the corner of the net from 18 yards to make it 4-3 right on the final whistle.
Cray move up to fourth in the table with this dramatic win, while Billericay travelled back to Essex wondering just how they ended up empty handed from the remarkable game.
Cray: Rowley, Tanga, Jones, Wearie, Sodje, Wood, Chapman (Skeffington 88), Cook, Bassett (Ijaha 74), Clunis (Derry 65), Bamba.
Subs Not Used: King-Bassett, Hibbert.
Billericay: Seaden, T Stevenson, Agyemang, Ekpiteta, Chambers, B Stevenson, Ebuzoeme, Dickson, Cerulli (Price 67), Ufuah, Uche.
Subs Not Used: Wind, Sullivan, Wilson, Burnett.
Goals: CWFC – Cook 13pen, Bassett 69, Derry 83, Skeffington 90+mins. BTFC – Stevenson 71, 81 pen, Ekpiteta 87mins.
Att: 313
HT 1-0
FT 4-3
Referee: Craig Barnett