Goalkeeper Will Norris has been impressed with how Braintree Town’s defensive unit have handled the changes forced on them in the early part of the Vanarama National League season.

At a time when team’s are trying to establish consistent formations, the Iron’s back line has been hit by injury and suspension that has seen manager Danny Cowley have to make changes by bringing in new players and playing others in slightly unfamiliar positions.

The knee injury that Matt Fry suffered against Tranmere was the biggest upheaval and prompted Cowley to bring in Tom Dallison on loan from Brighton, while Mitch Brundle’s sending off against Lincoln has seen Remy Clerima moved from the centre to right-back.

Dallison and Mark Phillips have established a good partnership in the middle of the back line, while Clerima has done well both in defence and going forward at full-back.

And conceding just one goal and taking seven points in their last three games has shown a level of resilience at the back that has impressed Norris.

The keeper, who is on a season-long loan at Braintree from Cambridge United, said: “We took a knock with Matt Fry getting injured and it’s meant we haven’t been able to get too much consistency in the back four.

“So it’s good to see us keep clean sheets like we did against Southport.

“Not just for me, but for the whole team because we defend through the whole team.

“The changes we’ve had don’t really affect me too much because the objective remains the same – keep the ball out of the net.

“We have a good player in Tom (Dallison) who has come in and he’s impressed in the two games he’s played so far and Remy moving out to right-back, he’s taken to it like a duck to water.

“The whole defensive unit has coped well with the changes that we’ve been forced to make.

“We’ve had to deal with it.

“It gives confidence going forward that we can cope with it because you need that in the defensive unit in a team like ours.

“We just have to keep working hard on those clean sheets."