Braintree flew out of the traps from the kick off when Sean
Marks cushioned a long ball forward with his chest to Dan Holman. The pace from
the resulting shot was removed with a heavy deflection, which meant the ball
trickled out for a corner. Minutes later, Josh Laurent picked up the ball on
the right hand side, and managed to find Bernard Mensah unmarked in the box.
Mensah had all the time in the world with his effort, striking first time, but
could not find the target. His effort flew wide; a good chance for the Iron to
put themselves ahead missed.
Wrexham began to find their feet after the scare, with
Tomassen delivering some inviting balls in from the wing. However, the
Braintree defence dealt well with the crosses. Dean Wells and Nick Hamann were
spared their blushes when Hamann was sent scrambling across his box to prevent
a corner from a back pass by Wells. Clearing only as far as a Wrexham man, the
resulting ball in was picked up and cleared away to keep the home side safe.
Laurent had the next big effort, picking up the ball on the
edge of the 18 yard box following a corner in from the left hand side. Laurent
dinked an effort goal wards, which looked to be creeping under the bar until
Wrexham goalkeeper Andy Coughlin tipped over to safety.
Some silky skill from Holman created an opening as Braintree
went forward with a three pronged attack. Mensah’s layoff to Holman saw the
striker pull off a double step over, only to fire directly at teammate Sean
Marks, who was ahead in the box and inadvertently blocked.
Mensah again came forward for the hosts, exchanging a nice
one-two on his way through on goal, to set himself up to shoot with his left
from just inside the Wrexham box. Coughlin was again equal to the effort when
he was called upon, turning the ball out for yet another corner to the Iron.
In the final ten minutes of the first half, Peters went
forward to take the throw deep inside the visitors half. Playing in triangles,
an opening was found to cross towards Marks, who couldn’t make the most of the
opportunity, again letting off the hosts. Wrexham pumped the ball forward,
which was played out to Harris whose rare shot was blocked and ball cleared
away.
The Iron went a goal up in style when Davis played the ball
into Dan Holman. Holman played the ball through the Wrexham defenders legs,
into space which was pounced on by Sean Marks. Marks pushed the ball out
towards the goalkeeper’s right post, rounding a committed Andy Coughlin and
tucking the ball away from an acute angle to hand the home side the lead.
Just before the break, Marks again prevented Holman from
extending the lead when he blocked another effort from the frontman, meaning
the home side would be just one goal up when the whistle was blown at half
time.
Last year’s playoff finalists started the second half better
than they finished the first, battling in the Braintree half and looking to
create chances. A change in personnel on the hour accommodated a change in
formation from the Dragons, facilitting a more attacking stance with three up
front. A good chance fell to Joe Anyinsah, who met Brett Ormerod’s chest down
with a snap shot that was matched by Nick Hamann. Wrexham’s best chance of the
night provoked a response from the Iron, with Barnard Mensah winning possession
inside his own half. A surging run down the left wing resulted in Mensah
cutting in on his right. David Artell forced Mensah out wide as he ran at the
defender, eventually crossing the ball into the goalkeeper’s arms.
Jay Harris found the referee’s book for a wild lunge on Matt
Paine as the visitors began to appear frustrated. With 15minutes to play,
Coughlin came out to clear, only playing the ball out as far as Bernard Mensah
who had time to see the goalkeeper far off of his line. Mensah volleyed left
footed towards goal, easily beating a backpedalling Andy Coughlin, but not
beating the right post as his shot rebounded to safety.
Mensah managed to pick up the ball on the left minutes
after, pulling the ball back to Dan Holman who was just inside the Wrexham box.
Holman adjusted his body well to shoot across goal, into Coughlin’s left
corner. The outstretched Wrexham keeper could get nowhere near the strike,
which doubled the lead for the hosts.
Wrexham looked to respond through their 16 year old
substitute, who met a bobbling ball in the box with his head, beating Nick
Hamann. However, the woodwork also denied the youngster a dream debut as his
head hit the bar.
But the Braintree debutant was to prove more fruitful, when
Alex Jakubiak rounded off a fantastic display from the Iron with a great solo
effort. Jakubiak cut in from the left, nudged the ball onto his right and struck
a curling shot into the right side of the Wrexham net. A fine finish to a fine
performance from the Iron wrapped up three points with three goals and no
response from the Welsh visitors.
Ryan Peters commented after the game that he believes the
team has a serious shout at breaking into the top half, and aims for top ten
after a fantastic display. On the evening’s performance, Ryan Peters said “We
can go to teams now and really dominate games, rather than sit back and hope
that we can counter attack. Jakubiak has come in and added another dimension
and got a goal on his debut, so it’s going well at the moment.”
Braintree: Hamann, Peters, Habergham, Wells, Massey, Davis
(Isaac), Paine, Laurent, Mensah, Marks (Sparkes), Holman (Jakubiak)
Unused Subs: McDonald, Daley
Wrexham: Coughlin, Wright, Ashton, Livesey (Artell), Harris
(Reynolds), Ormerod, Keates, Tomassen, Hunt (Ogleby), Anyinsah, Carrington
Unused Subs: Mayebie, Clowes
Referee: Paul Rees
Assistants: Maurice Taylor and Gary Parsons
Fourth Official: Stuart Pawley
Attendance: 697
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