Braintree Town Vs Dartford Match report 18-04-12

A Kenny Davis wonder strike claimed all three points for the Iron who kept their playoff dreams alive against Dartford. Braintree are now just one point from the playoff place with two matches remaining, the next coming on Easter Monday in the televised fixture at Barnet before the final home game against Grimsby Town next weekend.

The game started fairly evenly, with both sides struggling to put passes together early on and a scrappy beginning to a match with so much riding on it for both sides. Going into the fixture, Dartford sat third from bottom, inside the relegation places by just one point. Hoping that results would go their way, a win at the Amlin could go a long way to saving their Conference Premier league status. The Iron came out with the opposite objective, sitting one place outside the playoff positions, three points shy of their midweek opponents Gateshead. All as still to play for with two games to play following this tie, in what has already been a fantastic season for Alan Devonshire’s side.

With nerves on show early on, a foul on Stevenson thirty yards out presented the hosts a chance to put a ball into a dangerous position with just ten minutes played from the resulting free-kick. However, Noble and Stevenson where clearly unsure of what to do, trying to trick the Iron but looking more like fooling each other with both players running past the dead ball. The resulting ball in was easily cleared.

From a corner at the other end, Isaac put in a spinning ball which made its way to Marks with his back to goal. Just yards from the goal line, Marks laid off Davis rather than attempting a shot on the turn, but the ball escaped the Iron skipper and was played clear by the Darts.

Peters had a let off on the twenty minute mark when he controlled a ball played across his own box. Finding himself hounded by Noble, Peters lost possession with Noble finding himself through on goal down the left hand side. Opening his body well, Noble did everything right but lost composure and scuffed his shot well wide to spare the blushes of the Braintree right back.

The breakthrough came on twenty five minutes when Dean Wells headed long to the chest of Sean Marks. Receiving possession with his back to goal once more, Marks decided again to lay off Davis just outside the visitor’s area. Davis made no mistakes this time, striking to the ball sweetly from just outside the box. Alan Julian could get nowhere near the save, as he dived to his left to see Davis’ sweet strike nestle in the back of the orange net.

Braintree looked to double their lead five minutes later with two corners in succession on the left hand side. Marks turned to shoot having found the ball at his feet from the first, with the ball being put behind through a Dartford defensive header. The second looked dangerous also but found its way clear in a period of pressure for the Darts.

With Dan Sparkes running alone at the Dartford defence, Lee Noble was drawn into bringing Sparkes to ground, finding the referee’s book in the process. A floating lob by Isaac caused the away goalkeeper problems, who flapped at the ball to put it over the bar in the last effort before half time.

Dean Wells picked up a booking in the second half for blocking a ball through with his arm, resulting in a Dartford free kick. The ball was played in from deep by Lee Noble towards Mikel Suarez, who looked to connect with a diving header but came up just short of turning the ball in. Hamann was called into action just minutes after with a drilled shot from outside the area, but got down low well to scoop up the effort heading to his bottom left hand corner.

James Mulley ran half of the length of the field to set up substitute Jordan Cox with a chance from eight yards out. Mulley cut in from the right hand side, knocking a ball along the floor into Cox’s path who couldn’t control or turn the ball in, scuffing one of his first touches without threatening the visitors.

Alan Julian pulled off a great save with little more than fifteen minutes on the clock to give his side a chance of taking something back to Kent. Jordan Cox was the man to test the ‘keeper, getting onto the end of a corner played in from the right, meeting with his head from just ten yards out. Julian flung out and arm diving to his left to turn the ball away keeping the deficit to a single goal.

Braintree sat deep with five minutes of added time, and Nick Hamann could have singlehandedly rescued Braintree’s playoff hopes just before the final whistle. The Darts played the ball into Mikel Suarez, who saw his shot kept out by Hamann diving to his right. The rebound was played straight into Jim Stevenson who forced the second of a treble save from the Iron stopper, who could breathe again when the ball could not be bundled over the line. With the referee blowing for full time on the goal kick, Hamann’s treble save could be vital in sending the Iron into the playoff mix in the final game.

Straight after that impressive run of stops, Nick Hamann reflected on the performance. “I think we did really well today. We wasn’t at our best, but I think we defended well all game. I didn’t have a lot to do. It’s important for the goalkeeper to always keep their concentration and never switch off. Playoffs would be unbelievable and we have given ourselves the best chance. A great team performance.”

Alan Devonshire also spoke “I tell you what, no wonder I’ve gone grey being the manager of this team, but I’m delighted. It’s about getting the result today. Nick’s pulled off two great saves but to be fair I don’t think he had a lot to do. It was a quality goal and we needed that for the game. It was a scrappy game, we knew it would be that. The pitch isn’t the best and we know the way Dartford play. It was just about getting the result today. We had chances to get the second goal, but listen we’ve won and we roll on Monday. It’s nice to be in there. With Gateshead drawing, we’re a point behind them with two games to go and what an achievement to be in there with two games to go. Hopefully with one game there might be something on there on the last game which would be fantastic.”

Braintree Town: Hamann, Peters, Habergham, Massey, Wells, Isaac (Daley), Paine, Davis, Sparkes (Cox), Mulley, Marks

Unused Subs: McDonald, Holman, Laurent

Dartford: Julian, Cornhill, Noble (Bradbrook), Collier (Swallow), Mitchel-King, Burns, Harris, Stevenson, Suarez, Sterling, McAuley

Unused Subs: Holloway, Woodyard, Clark

Referee: Declan Ford
Assistants: Andrew Tonks and Ian Smedley
Fourth Official: Lee Forester
 
Attendance: 1200