Braintree Town Vs Norwich City pre-season friendly match report 15-07-14

Braintree Town Vs Norwich City match report.

Braintree Town: Hamann, Case, Habergham, Isaac, Paine, Massey, Mulley, Davis, Marks, Walker, Hawkins

Norwich City: Ruddy, Johnson, Martin, Turner, Howson, Lafferty, Hooper, Hoolahan, Bennett, Olsson, Surman

Braintree kicked off their home pre-season campaign in a changed white strip, unfamiliar to Cressing Road, with Norwich’s away strip yet to arrive in time for the fixture. A strong side was fielded by the Canaries, who ran out 6-1 winners on the night. Both sides made the most of the squads at their disposal, making mass changes in the second half with Alan Devonshire introducing some trialists in the fold against the Championship opposition.

Wes Hoolahan won free-kick just outside the 18 yard box, which was fired straight into the arms of Nick Hamann by Bradley Johnson early on. At the other end, Chez isaac’s free kick was deflected over for a corner, which he delivered near post to the head of Alan Massey. A stooping Massey could not test the keeper, turning the ball over for a goal kick.

The next Norwich attack was to lead to the opener, as Hoolahan was played in from the right just in front of goal. Looking like he was going to shoot, Hoolahan coolly found Andrew Surman to his left unchallenged, who had enough time to open his body and slot the ball into Hamann’s bottom left corner.

Sean Marks came close to equalising just two minutes later for the Iron, receiving a ball deep inside the Canaries’ half. Marks beat the keeper with his right footed effort, but could not beat the post as his shot bounced off the woodwork and out to safety.

On the 26^th minute Kyle Lafferty extended the lead for the away side with a fine free-kick from 25yards out. Lafferty curled the ball around the Iron wall, sending Hamann scrambling across goal, but unable to meet the shot which found the side netting.

Some great build up play from Norwich led to a cross in from the right by Elliott Bennett. A towering Kyle Lafferty directed his header from inside the Iron box onto the crossbar, leaving the trailing by just the two goals going into the second half.

Norwich City second half: Dunn, Whittaker, Bennett, Turner, Garrido, Redmond, Howson, Johnson, Murphy, Van Wolfswinkel, Grabban

With mass changes at half time from Canaries manager Neil Adams, second half introduction Ricky Van Wolfswinkel needed just one touch to open his account, passing the ball into an empty net with Hamann committed out of his box from the off.

Nathan Redmond added another ten minutes later with a thunderous strike from outside the Iron box. Just past the hour mark, Norwich added a fifth through Bradley Johnson after making another two substitutions. Norwich’s fresh legs began to run away with the tie, with the home side introducing only Jordan Cox and Michael Bakare until this point.

Jordan Cox was played through from the left hand side, and looked likely to open the scoring for the Iron but appeared to be held back by the covering Norwich defender. However, the referee waved away appeals to leave the home side searching again with Norwich introducing an eleventh change minutes later.

But the Iron wasn’t to search for their opener for too much longer when Sean Marks found the net with a header. An Isaac free-kick delivery across goal was headed back to Marks, who glanced across goal to guide the ball past Dunn to the delight of the home support.

Norwich added a sixth minutes from the end, with the Iron now a much changed side also as Devonshire took the opportunity to take a look at what was on offer for the season ahead. Josh Murphy whipped in a ball from the left, reaching Van Wolfswinkel at the back post who added a tap in to his tally for the night.

A decent game by both sides pleased a good turnout at Cressing road, with the strong Norfolk following taking a 6-1 win on the night.

Match report by Chris Pargin

The hidden world of non-league football

Just a few leagues below the £300,000 per week earning, champagne sipping poster boys of the Premier league live the stars of the non-league. The jugglers of the part-time football career receive little by comparison in the way of financial rewards, so much so that the vast majority work a second job to pay the bills. Though low paid in comparison, anyone that’s been to a standing terrace with hundreds rather than thousands of spectators in attendance will know that the effort that the lower league players put into performances equals, if not exceeds that of many of at the top of the football tree. If this is the case, is money really a motivator?

Footballers are always in the media for how much money they earn from the game, and don’t get me wrong, in my opinion the majority are majorly overpaid. “The average wage for a top flight player being around £30,000 per week”[1]. This is more in a week than a fully qualified nurse with the NHS would earn in a year. The NHS website shows the starting band for nurses as between £21,478 and £27,901[2], in what is surely a much more important role in the world. Sticking to the profession of football, if money were the main motivator, those at the top of the football pyramid would be by far the most motivated, putting in the most effort and making the greatest sacrifices.

Herzberg suggests that money has an ability to demotivate, but as long as the minimum requirement is achieved, will not be a great motivator.[3] As displayed in “Braintree Town’s marathon week in the conference”[4], Braintree captain Dean Wells travels 1374 miles playing the game he loves in conditions that Herzberg may even see sufficient to demotivate. However, Dean Wells states within this article “The work rate of the lads, considering the number of games we've had and the travelling, is superb. If we were in mid-table and just going through the motions, you could be disheartened. But the position we're in, we can't afford to have those thoughts.” This would back up Herzberg’s theory of achievement, recognition, advancement, work itself and even personal growth as being greater motivators. Personal growth in particular here is relevant with Dean Wells making the step up to full time football following the season in which he was selected in conference team of the year.

 

For three out of four weeks, Braintree played three matches a week last season. It is hard to imagine this being enforced in the Premier League, such is the difference between league and non-league football. Many would see the reason for this difference comes back to power. The power of one of the top clubs in the highest tier in English football is far greater than one of those much further down, and this is not just because of the financial influence that one of these clubs has. Braintree Town manager Alan Devonshire seems to believe that other clubs in the same division would not have been treated in the same way.[5] Though not stated, it is suggested that there is an imbalance of power in the Conference, with the better known ‘larger clubs’ favoured over those perhaps historically lesser known. Perhaps these sides that bring in more spectators, spread the word of the league further and are more recognisable by Football League follower’s uses personal influences against the authorities.

Though so many differences can be seen between league and non-league clubs, the players are still there to play the game that they love, putting their all into performing for reasons other than the widely mediated financial gains, and creating the game that we love from top to bottom of the pyramid.

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[1] Sky news (2013) available at http://news.sky.com/story/1100132/football-finance-premier-league-wages-up-9-percent (accessed 16/06/2014)

[2] NHS Careers agenda for pay April 2014 available at http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/explore-by-career/nursing/pay-for-nurses/ (accessed 16/06/2014)

[3] NetMBNA.com (2002-2010) available at http://www.netmba.com/mgmt/ob/motivation/herzberg/ (accessed 21/06/2014)

[4] BBC football (2014) available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26818712 (accessed 21/06/2014)

[5] BBC football (2014) available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26785223 (accessed 21/06/2014)

Braintree Town Vs Concord Rangers Match report 29-4-14 Essex Senior cup final

Essex Senior cup final

Though the scene was set for Braintree to add some silverware to a successful season, the opportunity passed Iron by when they went down by two goals to one in the Essex Senior cup final. An impressive team goal finished by Sam Collins was capped off with a cool strike from James White for Concord Rangers, sending Braintree back up the A12 empty handed in their last competitive game of the campaign, with James Mulley adding a consolation in injury time.

Braintree showed their intent from kick off, striking the woodwork in the opening minutes with some nice play down the left hand side. Marks and Holman linked up well, switching the play to James Mulley in an advanced position just outside the box. It was an opportunity possibly too early for James Mulley, who scuffed his shot across goal and onto the opposing post. Down the other end, Gary Ogilvie picked up the ball from a throw on the left wing for Concord Rangers, running at Ryan Peters and cutting in at the by-line. Penalty appeals on mass from the men in blue with Ogilvie going to ground in the area were waved away and the ball collected by Hamann.

However, Concord made the next chance count and opened the scoring through Sam Collins on 17 minutes. Gary Ogilvie was to thank for a fantastic ball across field from the Rangers left hand side, floating into space for Collins to attack. Latching onto the cross and in plenty of space, Collins struck across goal, finishing well past Nick Hamann to put the Conference South side ahead at Victoria road.

Jamie Butler did well on the stroke of half time to retain the hard fought lead, reacting well with a double save to force Devonshire’s men to face a tough team talk as Barry Holderness blew the whistle.

Ten minutes after the break, the Beach boys were screaming for a penalty again when Matt Paine stuck out a leg on the edge of the area. But with the referee ignoring the calls for the second time, Braintree broke down the left, providing Jordan Cox with possession inside the opposition box. Cox looped a ball into the middle of the box, which was met by James Mulley who nodded over.

Davis went into the book on the 65^th minute for a stamp on the grounded Toby Stokes, leading to a dangerous looking free kick from 25 yards out. It was Collins who struck, demanding the most from the outstretched Nick Hamann who prevented a wonder goal from the scorer of the first. However, Hamann could parry only as far as James White, who put the ball in the back of the net to double the lead for Concord Rangers.

With fifteen minutes to go, Bradley Quinton delivered from a corner into a mass of shirts, who watched helplessly as the ball trickled past the post for another corner which was put clear. Iron could not create in the game as they had all season in the league, but added a consolation through James Mulley moments before the referee’s whistle. A corner in by Bradley Quinton fell to Mulley, who this time headed home, but it was far too late for a comeback with the referee blowing the signalling an end to the tie from the restart.

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

Unused Subs: McDonald, Wells

Concord Rangers: Butler, Gordon, Glozier, Cawley (Lampe), King, Goodacre, Cawley, White, Ogilvie (Easterford), Collins, Stokes

Unused Subs: Alzapiedi,Taaffe, Amole

 
Referee: Barry Holderness
Assistants: Wade Norcott and Thomas Ramsey
Fourth Official: Stuart Cheek

Attendance: 448

 

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

Braintree Town Vs Gateshead Match report 15-4-14

The Iron failed to capitalise on a dominant performance against Gateshead at the Amlin that would have seen them leapfrog the visitor’s into the last playoff position with Halifax beating Grimsby on the road. Dan Holman had the chance of the evening with ten minutes to play, winning a penalty for his side, but failing to convert with Bartlett palming onto the bar to protect his clean sheet. With three games to play, the result was pivotal for both sides, but it was to be Gateshead who went home the happier, with Alan Devonshire bitterly disappointed having felt that his side deserved all three points at full time.

 Almost directly from kick off, an early opportunity fell to the home side, with Braintree winning possession, and advancing down the right hand side through Ryan Peters. Peters played the ball nicely to Isaac, who dinked the ball in from the by-line to Jordan Cox, who nodded just wide from close range. Cox’s next attack failed to lead to a delivery in, but resulted in a corner off of Gateshead captain Ben Clark, which was dealt with easily by the Tynesider’s defence having been played across the floor straight into the first defender’s path.

Just short of half an hour in, a poor clearance from the Gateshead defence allowed Isaac space to shoot. A bobbling ball just inside the box was pounced on by Isaac, who curled right footed across goal. Slightly misjudging the top corner, the shot floated with power just inches above the bar in what looked a decent chance for the Iron.

Ten minutes from the half time whistle, a free-kick from deep provided the first real chance of the game for the visitors. The cross was directed at James Curtis at waist height, clearing all Iron shirts with Nathan McDonald looking beaten by a pacey ball across goal. However, the lofty centre back would probably have preferred a higher ball in as he failed to get anything on the cross, watching it fly past for a goal kick.

From the re-start, a corner played in by Sparkes was reached by Dan Holman, who was closed down instantly by the Gateshead defence resulting in a second corner for the Iron. Though this could not be taken advantage of either, a pinpoint ball across field by Sam Habergham met Mully in the area to create another chance. Mulley headed back to set up Matt Paine, who was charged down with a decent block, preventing any test of Adam Batlett between the sticks.

On the hour mark, Holman’s nod on twenty yards out fell to Jordan Cox, who struck the ball well, demanding the best from the Gateshead ‘keeper. Bartlett tipped the ball over to safety providing another corner to the Iron. It was Wells who met this ball in, looking to add to his headed goal against the league leader Luton Town at the weekend. This time, Jamie Chandler on the post managed to clear off of the line, keeping the game goalless with the home side in the ascendency.

Ten minutes from time, Cox played the ball out to Dan Sparkes on the left hand side. Sparkes found Holman running in across goal, who went down in the box from a shove in the back. The referee pointed to the spot to hand the Iron a penalty and a chance to take all three points. Holman placed the ball on the spot, and struck to the goalkeeper’s right, who read the shot well, thumbling the effort onto the bar. The rebound was headed behind for a goal kick to the dismay of the home side who would leapfrog Gateshead into a playoff position with a win. However, on the night the sides were to share the spoils meaning that Braintree fell a further point away from the playoffs with Gateshead now the nearest team on place above.

Speaking after the game, Alan Devonshire felt hard done by from not collecting all three points on the night.

“I thought we were the only team trying to win the game. We had a few good chances and we had a penalty… Did they have a shot? I’m disappointed, but the effort they gave me out there I’m not disappointed. They were the better side as far as I’m concerned.

They’ve come and they’ve come for a point, and they’ve got the point. To be fair, we deserved to get the three points. They’ve come with a game plan, and they’ve spoiled us but we were the only ones that had chances in the game. I’m just disappointed, because I just feel that we deserved the three points.

We’ve got three games left and we’re still fighting. Three games to go and people are talking about Braintree in the playoffs. What a fantastic season that is. We’ll keep going. I’m proud of them and I like to think that the fans and directors are proud of them, so we go again on Friday”

Braintree Town: McDonald, Peters, Habergham, Wells, Massey, Isaac, Paine, Sparkes, Mulley, Cox, Holman

Unused Subs: Quinton, Daley, Carney, Laurent, Holdsworth

Gateshead: Bartlett, Magnay, Chandler, Curtis, Clark, Turnbull, Baxter, Marwood, Maddison (Walker), Oster (Ramshaw), O’Donnell

Unused Subs: Baird, Cummins, Noble

Referee: Richard  Martin

Assistants: Gary Parsons and Samuel Ogles

Fourth Official: Neil West

Attendance: 901

 

Braintree Town Vs Macclesfield Town Match Report 8-4-14

Braintree suffered another 1-0 loss at home, this time to Macclesfield Town following the same score line on Saturday against Salisbury. After clawing their way into the playoff places, Braintree have slipped to seventh place on the back of two defeats, although still just two points adrift of fifth with some favourable results elsewhere. A single Scott Boden goal just after the hour mark sent the visiting side home happy, with Braintree possibly now pleased to see an away fixture up next, albeit to league leaders Luton Town.

Nick Hamann showed his awareness from the off, sprinting off of his line in the first ten minutes to collect the ball from Chris Holroyd’s feet, suffocating any opportunity that may be forming for the frontman early on. With both sides battling it out in the middle of the park, little was created in the first twenty five minutes. However, the visitors came close with some good build up play down the left hand side just prior to the half hour mark. Danny Andrew pushed up from his left back position, cutting inside the Iron box and playing in an inviting ball across the face of the goal. The resulting touch could not steer the ball towards goal, bobbling out for a goal kick.

At the other end, a Matt Paine volleyed cross searched for the head of Jordan Cox, who leapt just short of the ball to watch it drift past. A sneaky short corner Davis from Dan Sparkes failed to result in a lofted ball in. Instead Sparkes picked the ball back up and struck a shot through on goal from just inside the eighteen yard box, which flew low at the goalkeeper’s feet. Power looked to take the struggling ball out of the Taylor’s clutches, but the keeper managed calm any danger, scooping up on the turn.

At the start of the second half, some good build up play across the pitch involving Cox, Holman and Isaac found James Mulley inside the box. Mulley just failed to tuck the ball away, with Cox suffering the same feat straight after from a cross played in from the right. Build the two chances in succession kick-started the home side, who then won a free kick just outside the visitor’s box through Jordan Cox. It was Isaac who struck right footed, under the wall which the goalkeeper did well to react to with limited visibility, parrying away.

But the first goal would go to the Silkmen on the hour mark, with Scott Boden in acres of space to receive a switch of play just outside the Iron box. Boden knocked it left and then right between his feet to go past Alan Massey, striking across goal to Hamann’s right hand side. The outstretched Iron ‘keeper could not reach the shot, then venting his frustration with seeing his side slip behind after picking the ball out of the back of the net.

Boden was also first in the referee’s booked after flailing an arm at Dean Wells when chasing down another loose ball ten minutes after his goal.

Paul Turnball came at the Iron again, laying off Danny Whitaker to his right, who struck hard at Nick Hamann who push the ball over. The resulting ball in from the corner was thumbled by Hamann, nearly presenting a tap in for the Macclesfield men forward, but was scrambled clear by the Iron, keeping the deficit to a single goal.

Three minutes of added time presented just one real opportunity for the Iron, with Jakubiak finding space to shoot from the right hand side after a ball up from the return of a drop ball thumped up by the Macclesfield goalkeeper. Jakubiak thundered the shot across goal, with the referee blowing as soon as the ball crossed the line for a goal kick to signal a second 1-0 loss at home in a row.

Alan Devonshire saw no excuse for poor performances all over the park after the game. “I’m really disappointed tonight. I don’t think that we was at it, and I aint blaming that we was tired, we’ve had the rest from Saturday, I said to them in there that I’m really disappointed and they didn’t want it bad enough.”

“I thought that they were better than us all over the park. They looked sharper. We’ve got some big big games coming up. We have Luton away on Saturday and if we play like that we’ll get hammered.”

“I just wanted more from them. They’ve been praised and I’ve always said how great they’ve done but today I was gutted. We’re better than that.”

Braintree Town: Hamann, Paine, Habergham, Wells, Massey, Isaac (Laurent), Davis, Spakes (Daley), Mulley, Cox (Jakubiak), Holman

Unused Subs: McDonald, Carney

Macclesfield Town: Taylor, Connor, Andrew, Turnbull, Holroyd, Winn (Mackreth), Williams, Lewis, Boden (Kay), Whitaker, Halls

Unused Subs: Mackreth, Branagan, Rowe, Cowan

Referee: Adam Hopkins

Assistants: Stuart Pawley and Chris Francis

Fourth Official: Lloyd Wood

 

Braintree Town Vs Salisbury City Match report 5-4-14

The minutes on the pitch played by the Iron caught up with the side today, who went down 1-0 to Salisbury City who themselves created little. A mammoth task was handed to the Iron just before half time by referee Colin Lymer, who dismissed Sean Marks for an off the ball incident with James Clarke. Already a goal down after a nodded effort by Charlie Sherringham, the task was too much in the second half for the leggy players, who gave all they had to get back into the game, but failed to do so with an array of decisions from the referee that the home fans felt went against their side.

Salisbury picked up a free kick in a dangerous position seven minutes in when Chez Isaac was penalised for a foul twenty yards out on the right hand side. Theo Lewis took the opportunity to float in a cross rather than shoot, which was easily nodded out for a throw by Sean Marks who was back fulfilling his defensive duties. Minutes later Stuart Sinclair tried a spectacular effort from just inside the Iron half. Hamann rushed out of his area to clear a loose ball played through by the visitors, but scuffed only as far as Sinclair who took the opportunity to attempt a long range lob on the keeper. However, his attempt floated over the bar to the relief of the Iron.

Dan Holman had a half chance for Braintree quarter of an hour in, drifting in from the wing to his natural position to pick up a ball nodded into the centre of the pitch from a throw. Holman’s shot was not enough to test James Bittner in goal for the visitor’s, going over for a goal kick.

But it was the Whites that were to go ahead on eighteen minutes with a nodded goal from Charlie Sherringham. Ryan Brett played the ball in from deep, which was flicked on by Chris McPhee, and directed into the bottom corner by Sherringham who showed the same attacking instinct of that of his father Teddy.

Minutes from half time, Holman’s switch up front allowed him to pick up the ball midway into the Salisbury half and fire a shot at goal that trickled just wide. The switch gave some life to the Iron attack, with the home side on the front foot leading up to half time. Next to have a shot was Kenny Davis from inside the area on the Iron’s left. After going out for a corner, Josh Laurent picked up at the other side of the box, and saw his heavily deflected effort go behind for yet another corner. But the good spell that the Iron had created ended in the worst possible way when James Clarke fell to the floor holding his head.  The referee immediately ran to Sean Marks, brandishing the red for an off the ball incident that saw Marks throw an arm at the Salisbury defender who made the most of the contact, leaving the Iron a goal and a man behind at the half time whistle. Alan Devonshire took the opportunity at half time to vent his anger towards the decision, running the width of the pitch to meet Colin Lymer.

Iron came out after the break with the hunger that had seen them reinstalled to fourth place reinstalled, after waiting for the referee to remerge from the tunnel minutes after the two sides. Both Holman and Jakubiak had chances in the box, but the shot that would level the scoring could not be found within the first fifteen minutes of the second half, which then saw Jakubiak replaced by Jordan Cox who made his return. It was long until Cox found a chance, coming across to the right hand side to get onto a looping ball forward, and slice an opportunity wide. Cox’s height started to come of use when he won a lofted ball forward, and took on the visiting goalkeeper, who dived at Cox’s feet immediately waving for attention from the physio.

Finding plenty of space down the right hand side, the Salisbury right back Kevin Amankwaah carried the ball deep into the Iron half, crossing to Chris McPhee, who cut in and rifled over with his right. Both Cox and Paine picked up yellows before the final ten minutes, with Paine’s foul setting up a free kick just outside the area for the visitors. Theo Lewis struck the ball sweetly, demanding the best from Hamann who met the shot diving to his left hand side and parrying out for a corner.

Stuart Sinclair avoided any challenge by the Iron when he tore down the Salisbury left wing. The midfielder cut in at the by-line to cross to Sherringham, who was just yards away from the goal line when he deflected an effort straight at Hamann who held well. When Chris McPhee went down after a challenge from Chez Isaac, another yellow was shown to an Orange shirt, which signalled the end of the chances much to the frustration of Braintree who had been the better side in the second half even with ten men. After the frustration of the dismissal, Devonshire travelled the same length to shake the hands of the officials on full time.

Commenting after, Alan Devonshire said “It was a game too far for us today, the week has caught up with us. I was in bed for the earliest I’ve been in about ten years so how them lot feel I do not know” When responding to how Braintree would cope without Sean Marks who faces suspension, Alan said “Hopefully Jordan is alright, he’s been out for seven weeks but I thought he did well when he came on so he’ll start. Hopefully his back’s alright, if not we’ll have to find another way.”

Away manager Mikey Harris gave “massive credit to Braintree, especially with the fixture schedule that they have with three games in a week, which should never really happen to be honest, but credit to them for keep coming at us and making it difficult to us.”

Kenny Davis also reflected on the loss. “We’re a little bit downbeat, but it’s still in our hands so we’ve just got to carry on. We’re tired, obviously lost a couple of players as well. It’s been a hard week, but to still be in with a shout, the boys have done brilliant. I think if we had eleven men, I think we would have won. We didn’t concede too many goals, which what with the goal difference could come in crucial. Who would have thought we would have been in this situation at the beginning of the year? We’ve got to get as many people down here, the whole town down here to create an intimidating atmosphere. What an achievement it would be to get the boys in the playoffs and have the playoff down here.”

Braintree Town: Hamann, Paine, Habergham, Wells, Massey, Isaac, Davis, Laurent (Daley), Jakubiak (Cox), Marks, Holman

Unused Subs: McDonald, Daley, Carney, Holdsworth

Salisbury City: Bittner, Brett, Clarke, Wilson, McPhee, Lewis, Frear (Fitchett), Kamdjo (Wellard), Sinclair, Amankwaah, Sherringham

Unused Subs: White, George

Referee: Colin Lymer

Assistants: Mark Potkins and Darren Stobbart
Fourth Official: Paul Burnham

Attendence: 905