BILLERICAY Town boss Craig Edwards says every member of his squad is fighting for a start in the first game of the season after a battling performance against Millwall.

Edwards fielded a number of his midweek signings in the 2-1 defeat on Saturday but said his players had gained valuable experience.

“We have a few more games to go in this pre-season and it has been a very promising one for us so far.

“We have strength and depth in most positions now and that puts us in a very good position heading forward. This game and the Southend games were huge tests for us and we have challenged for large periods in both matches. The players can only learn from this sort of experience.”

Billericay took the lead against Millwall on the stoke of half-time, Junior Appiah netting after a free-kick from the right.

However, Millwall were level seconds after the restart, with Aiden O’Brien curling home from the edge of the box. Smith Tiesse scored a late winner with only minutes left on the clock.

Town have already triumphed in pre-season against Conference South side Hemel Hempstead Town and drawn against the Conference Premier’s Eastleigh. They now face Dagenham & Redbridge on Tuesday before travelling to Guernsey next weekend. They wrap up their pre-season at home against Charlton on Tuesday, August 5.