It's raining goals in Halifax as Braintree go back up to fifth

Vanarama National League

With shocking weather across the country, it was goals that were raining in Halifax as an astonishing game saw Braintree Town record their sixth away win of the campaign.

The hosts, who were bottom of the Vanarama National League table, slotted three past the division’s meanest defence, but Braintree fired home six of their own at the other end.

Michael Cheek’s hat-trick was the highlight for the visitors, with his final goal coming in the 49th minute after a first-half that had seen the back of the two nets bulge a collective seven times.

In fact all the goals came in the opening hour of the game, with the Iron wrapping their win up with a quality strike from Sammie Szmodics in the 57th minute as they returned to the top five in the league standings.

Braintree made three changes to their starting line-up from the one that had begun at Woking in midweek.

Kenny Davis, Dan Sparkes, Michael Cheek all returned from injuries, while Matt Fry, Taylor Miles and Sean Marks all dropped to the bench and there was an early goal for the away fans to celebrate.

Braintree made the perfect start with a goal after just four minutes.

It came as a corner on the right was played back to Alex Woodyard and his ball into the centre of the goal sailed over Halifax keeper and nestled into the top corner of the goal.

It was the opening that boss Danny Cowley would have wanted from his team, but there was no time to consolidate their lead as they were pegged back within a minute.

With Braintree composing themselves, Halifax surged forward, with Nicky Wroe’s ball into the centre finding its way to Jordan Burrow, who knocked it in from close range.

The Shaymen were boosted by the quickfire response and almost went ahead with a shot from Burrow that Iron keeper Will Norris had to turn on to the crossbar and away to safety.

Instead it was the visitors who earned a second goal when Michael Cheek tucked away his sixth goal of the season in the 18th minute.

It came when Dan Sparkes hit an excellent ball to Sammie Szmodics and rather than go for goal himself, the Colchester United loanee unselfishly crossed to Cheek to tuck the ball away.

Szmodics then played in Kenny Davis and it looked as if it would be three for the Iron, but the skipper just couldn’t turn the ball goalwards.

They didn’t have to wait long for it to come, though, as Cheek doubled his afternoon’s tally in the 25th minute when a back pass by Keil O’Brien was read by the Iron striker.

Cheek made a block and tucked the ball into the goal for his second goal and he was then involved as Braintree went 4-1 up in the 24th minute.

He was fouled as he advanced into the Halifax box and with referee Ryan Johnson pointing to the spot, Davis, the Iron’s regular penalty taker, made no mistake in making it 4-1.

It looked like there would be a flood of goals, but Iron weren’t anticipating that it would be the hosts who troubled the score sheet next.

However, that was exactly what happened as it was quickly back to a two-goal lead for Braintree as a sixth goal of the day came in the 32nd minute.

Some sloppy defending saw Halifax’s Sean Tuton left unmarked in the centre of the goal and he had the simplest of tasks in tapping the ball into the net.

It clearly emboldened the home side and as they pressed forward before the break, they pulled the deficit back to one again as Tuton was left unattended once more and he fired home.

However, Braintree took control of the game once more after the restart as they re-established their two-goal advantage in the 49th minute.

It was Sparkes who was the provider this time as his cross was forcefully volleyed into the roof of the net as Cheek completed his hat-trick.

Sparkes was then unfortunate not to get involved in the scoring himself as Matt Glennon made a smart save, but it wasn’t long before there was another goal.

It was Colchester United loanee Szmodics who found the target this time as a ball forward from Cheek allowed him to lift the ball deftly over Glennon and into the back of the Halifax net for a sixth time.

For a game that had seen nine goals inside an hour, the final 30 minutes were relatively tame.

Tuton was denied a hat-trick of his own by the woodwork, but a breathless encounter ended with Braintree winning 6-3.

Braintree Town: Will Norris, Mitch Brundle, Remy Clerima, Kenny Davis, Sam Habergham (Matt Fry 45), Matt Paine, Chez Isaac, Alex Woodyard, Dan Sparkes (Taylor Miles 71), Michael Cheek (Sean Marks 74), Sammie Szmodics. Substitutes Subs not used: Ibra Sekajja, Anthony Edgar.

Referee: Ryan Johnson.