Injuries prove too much for Braintree
7:55am Wednesday 14th May 2008
To begin a review of Braintree Town's season, it is worth listing the team that played in their final match: Nick Morgan, Billy Burgess, Ryan Moran, Ben Chenery, James Hawes, Chris Sullivan, Steve Good, Micky Shinn, Adrian Deane, Chris Smith, Eugene Ofori.
Or to put it another way, it did not include James Baker, Lee Burns, Ian Cousins, Gary Cross, Russ Edwards, Richard Jolly, Mark Jones, Robbie Martin, Andy Porter, Brad Quinton or Louis Riddle.
And that just about sums up the season.
Manager Lee Patterson has nobly refused to cite injuries as an excuse for inferior performances but few people can have been required to cope with such an extensive list.
Even he joined in on the last day of the season, hobbling around on crutches after a knee operation.
Of those listed above, at least six and possibly eight could be regarded as first choices although after all the comings and goings, one suspects even Patterson does not know what his best team is.
And in a way that is one of the benefits of the season. A number of the players who would not have been in the starting line-up if everyone had been fit have taken the chance to shine.
For Ron Fosker's full review on Braintree Town's season, see this week's Braintree and Witham Times.