Manager Steve McKimm thinks Billericay did his Tonbridge side a favour after their 8-3 League Cup final humiliation last season.

The result was overshadowed by a video of Ricay players signing the R Kelly hit 'The World's Greatest' in the dressing room before the game.

It went viral and meant the final itself was largely forgotten.

That was to the detriment of Billericay's performance, according to McKimm, but it also meant a poor Tonbridge display went unmentioned.

The sides meet for the first time since the final when Angels welcome Glenn Tamplin's Bostik Premier favourites to Longmead on Tuesday night.

McKimm said: "I remember us starting the game and being brilliant, scoring, and then getting our backside tanned - and it was a tanning.

"That song got their profile high but it took away from their performance and that's what a lot of people miss because, as poor as we were, they were very good.

"No one spoke about the result or the actual performance and that probably helped us because we could have been put over the coals."

Billericay have dropped to second place after losing their last four games, a run they bid to halt against Staines on Saturday.

Many in non-league have taken great delight at the wobble but McKimm has no problem with owner-manager Tamplin's heavy spending.

The Angels boss said: "He's put seats into the stand, he's built a disabled stand and named it after a disabled kid, he's done the bar up, he's done the changing rooms up, he's spent his money on the club, as well as the team.

"Now if he wants to go and spent X amount on a certain player that's entirely up to him - it's his money.

"He's spent his money on the infrastructure of the club, as well as the team, and if that's what he wants to do, that's his prerogative because it's his money.

"No one can tell anyone how to spend their money.

"Does it make it a level playing field for the league? No, it doesn't.

"Does it help you get players? No, it doesn't because every player wants more money and that is a fact.

"But the money side of it doesn't interest me.

"Everybody would love to have it - I'm not a green-eyed monster, I'm a realist.

"If we had someone throwing that money in, you wouldn't turn it down and if anyone tells you they would, I'd very much disagree with them because if something's given to you on a plate, you take it to do the best you can and enhance what you've got."

Before Billericay, Tonbridge entertain Worthing at Longmead on Saturday.