Braintree Town Vs Lincoln City Match report 18-03-2014

A repeat of Saturday’s fixture which saw the Iron face Lincoln City would result in a repeat of the score line also, as Braintree slumped to a 2-0 defeat at the Amlin. The hosts were outmuscled by a physical Lincoln side, who leapfrogged Alan Devonshire’s side after benefitting from a six point swing over the two matches played. Luke Foster and Jake Sheridan bagged one in each half to seal the win for City, who had chances to make it a greater margin, especially in the second half. However, Lincoln kept true to form to win by the two goals, which they have now done three times this season having now met twice in the league and once in the FA Trophy.

An early Kenny Davis free kick did little to test the visiting goalkeeper from just outside the box. With both sides cancelling each other out in the first ten minutes, the first opening of the game came when Kenny Davis dispossessed a Lincoln attack just outside his area. Davis fed the ball to Mulley who dribbled with pace from deep within his own half at the defensive line, finding an opening to shoot. However, the hassling Imps did enough to knock James Mulley’s sights off target, with the resulting shot drifting well wide of the mark.

Dan Holman had the next attempt for the Iron following a great individual run from Bernard Mensah. Mensah twisted and turned past three Lincoln defenders, eventually seeing the ball run into the path of Dan Holman, who first struck directly at his teammate standing just yards in front of him, then put the second attempt wide of the goalkeepers left post.

A well worked corner by the Iron on the right hand side allowed Kenny Davis to float an inviting ball into the visitor’s box. Davis’ drifted ball seemed to make its way across the six yard box in slow motion, failing to find an orange shirt and eventually making its way safe for a goal kick.

Down the other end, Ben Tomlinson found Hamann fully committed when he came rushing at the attacker well out of his box. The Lincoln striker knocked it round the onrushing keeper, but was unable to pick up the bobbling ball before it was put out for a corner. The ball in was just as devastating, fired with conviction onto the vacant head of Luke Foster, who had all the time in the world to direct the ball past Hamann to hand the Imps the lead.

Just before the whistle blew for half time, Bernard Mensah found Dan Holman in space just outside the Lincoln box, who set himself up to shoot. Holman nudged the ball onto his left and fired hard and low across goal, only to watch his shot skip past the right post to send the Iron down the tunnel a goal behind.

Just after the restart, Mensah’s run across the Lincoln back line was brought to a devastating halt when the loanee was scythed down by Tom Miller. Miller saw yellow for his troubles, but it was the Iron man who suffered, signalling instantly to the bench to bring him off as a result of a nasty challenge that the home fans thought deserved instant dismissal.

Following a Mulley ball in which hit the top of the bar, the next Lincoln attack was called back for what looked to be a penalty. However, the referee pointed to just outside the area, and a free kick was given on the edge of the box that Sean Newton stood carefully placed as the visiting fans sang 2-0. Optimistic support may have jinxed Newton, who found Hamann’s organisation of his wall, and cover on the near side more than equal to his effort.

Just past the hour mark and the Iron were inches away from an equaliser when an almost identical effort to their opposition’s opener was played out. Amongst a barrage of bodies, the nodded effort in was scrambled clear off of the line, and the home side where sent back to the starting blocks to go again for their leveller.

But that was not to be as the home side started to chase the game. Jake Sheridan struck a thunderous effort from 25yards out, latching onto a loose ball on the Iron left flank. The Imps attack were starting to unlock the home defence as fatigue seemed to set in heading into the last 15 minutes, and Sheridan capitalised in style when he struck a superb effort easily past Nick Hamann whilst almost unchallenged.

Matt Paine and Dan Sparkes both picked up yellows inside minute as injury time beckoned. Sheridan had a chance to bag a brace in the final moments as he ran onto a loose ball. But Hamann closed the striker well to keep the deficit to two for the third time this season against the visitors.

Alan Devonshire showed his anger at the end of the game on the tackle just inside the second half on Watford loan recruit Bernard Mensah. “I’m fuming. It as a scandalous tackle. He knew what he was doing as well. The lad has to go for a scan tomorrow on his knee. There is no place for that in football.”

Braintree Town: Hamann, Peters, Habergham (Sparkes), Wells, Paine, Davis, Mulley, Laurent (Isaac), Mensah (Jakubiak), Marks, Holman

Unused subs: McDonald, Daley

Lincoln City: Townsend, Miller, Newton, Jordan, Audel, Rowe, Tomlinson (Simmons), Sheridan (Dixon), Gray, Mendy, Foster

Unused Subs: Nolan, Adams, Preece

Referee: Daniel Cook

Assistants: Adrian Quelch and Rob Smith
Fourth Official: Carl Pearse