BRAINTREE TOWN 0 TORQUAY UNITED 0

Vanarama National League

Braintree Town were unable to meet the goal-scoring highs they managed the last time they faced Torquay United in a frustrating stalemate at the Avanti Stadium.

They scored five at Torquay towards the end of last season, but a difficult pitch made any fluency hard to find on this occasion as their latest Vanarama National League clash ended in a 0-0 draw.

Despite dominating the early stages and hitting the woodwork twice in the first ten minutes, Braintree were unable to find a cutting edge in the final third, while their resolute defence kept an 11th clean sheet of the campaign.

Following the previous week’s call-off due to a waterlogged pitch, heavy overnight rain led to work being needed on it on Saturday morning for the game to go ahead.

Two pitch inspections were held in the hours preceding kick-off and there was plenty of sand put down towards the Clubhouse End of the pitch, but it was deemed fit for purpose.

Braintree made two changes from the side that started their previous game ten days previously - the FA Cup defeat at Oxford United.

Chez Isaac hadn't recovered from a groin problem so was left out, while Sean Marks dropped to the bench.

In their places came Simeon Akinola, who returned from a hamstring injury, and Millwall loanee Jack Powell came in for his Iron debut.

Torquay had won just one of their previous 19 outings and that showed in the early stages of the game as Braintree completely dominated the first 15 minutes.

It was a strong start from the hosts, who posed threats down both flanks and Dan Lavercombe was the busier of the two keepers.

The closest the hosts came to breaking the deadlock was in the tenth minute when Michael Cheek’s header clattered against the junction of post and crossbar before being hacked clear.

It led to a corner, which came out to Alex Woodyard and the woodwork took a hit again as the Iron midfielder’s curling effort was deflected on to the post.

They were let-offs for the visitors and it began a pattern that continued in the opening half-hour as the Iron dominated without finding a killer touch in the Torquay area.

As the pitch cut up, play from both sides became increasingly scrappy and neither keeper was unduly troubled as it stayed 0-0 at half-time.

It was a brighter Braintree that emerged after the break as they tried to up the tempo, however, the heavy and increasingly cut up pitch stifled attractive football.

The visitors continued to have very little threat up front, but the Iron also struggled to make anything tangible of their superior possession.

Torquay’s defence maintained its organisation and made it tough for the hosts to engineer too much in and around their area as Braintree became more and more frustrated.

A long ball forward did open a chance for Akinola in the 75th minute, but Nathan Smith made the all-important block for the visitors to maintain the status quo.

Both sides did their best to press for an opener in the closing stages, but goal opportunities remained frustratingly elusive as both sides had to be content with a point.

Braintree: Will Norris, Remy Clerima, Matt Fry, Matt Paine, Sam Habergham, Kenny Davis, Dan Sparkes (Sean Marks 78), Alex Woodyard, Jack Powell (Taylor Miles 65), Simeon Akinola, Michael Cheek (Ibra Sekajja 90).

Subs; Anthony Edgar, Mitch Brundle.

Referee: Stephen Ross.