Kenny's early goal sets the tone for another three-point haul for Braintree Town

Vanarama National League

Kenny Davis’ goal after just 38 seconds set the tone for Braintree Town to return to winning ways against FC Halifax Town at the Avanti Stadium.

A waterlogged pitch at Barrow on Saturday had denied the Iron the chance to bounce back from a disappointing defeat by Boreham Wood the previous week, but there was no frustration this time.

Davis found the target with the sound of the referee’s opening whistle barely stopped after Simeon Akinola had hit the post and Michael Cheek fired home a second after the break to make the points safe.

The fact that Halifax had to play the final 33 minutes with only ten men, following the sending off of Kevin Roberts, made the hosts’ job that much easier and they would have been glad to keep a 16th clean sheet of the season.

The brandishing of ten yellow cards – two of which went to Roberts – would have made referee Alan Young’s post-match report read a bit like War and Peace and it didn’t help to keep things flowing in the second half.

But Braintree won’t have too many complaints as they moved back up to seventh in the Vanarama National League table.

The Iron made four changes from the side that started their 2-0 defeat by Boreham Wood at the Avanti Stadium seven days previously.

Remy Clerima, Chez Isaac and Dan Sparkes all returned to the line-up, while goalkeeper Tom King came in for his first Braintree start after joining on loan from Millwall at the end of last week.

Heading out of the side were keeper Michael Crowe, Mitch Brundle and Taylor Miles, who all dropped to the bench, while Matt Paine was suspended after being sent off against Boreham Wood.

Braintree were looking for a good start after the disappointment of that loss to Boreham and they got exactly that with an electric start as they found the target after just 38 seconds of the kick-off.

As orange shirts piled forward, Simeon Akinola picked up the ball on the left and cut across the top of the Halifax area before shooting and hitting the base of the left post.

The respite was brief for the Shaymen, though, as Kenny Davis was waiting to slam the loose ball into the top corner of the net.

It was the perfect start and the hosts set about building on it with some good possession in the early stages of the game.

They began crafting some encouraging opportunities, including one cross from Akinola on the right that flew across the face of the Halifax goal.

However, neither of the two Braintree players rushing into the six-yard box could put a finishing touch to that particular chance and it was a familiar story through the opening period as promising opportunities passed without further scoring.

It allowed Halifax to settle after the initial setback and they started to impose themselves more at the other end of the pitch.

A Scott McManus cross drifted just over the bar with King back-peddling and the Millwall loanee keeper had to be alert to save low down when Hamza Bencherif got his head to a free-kick into the home area.

It meant the score remained 1-0 at the break, but it could so easily have been 2-0 to the hosts as moments before half-time, Michael Cheek was handed a gift-wrapped chance.

Under no pressure whatsoever, Bencherif slipped in possession and Cheek pounced on the loose ball before advancing one-on-one with Shaymen keeper Sam Johnson.

It was the type of opportunity a striker dreams of but Cheek placed the ball just the wrong side of the upright from a Braintree perspective.

That helped keep the Shaymen in the game and they went looking for an equaliser at the start of the second period.

James Bolton had a great chance with 48 minutes on the clock when a cross from the left came to him almost unmarked in a central area about eight yards out, but his header was woefully high and wide of the target.

The visitors then thought they had a penalty as substitute Jake Hibbs went down in the area under a challenge from Clerima, but referee Alan Young saw it differently and showed a yellow card for simulation against the Halifax man.

That wasn’t the only caution issued by referee Alan Young in an incredible period of play.

The man in black brandished yellow cards to Bolton and Akinola for diving and most notably showed another to Kevin Roberts for a challenge on Alex Woodyard in the 57th minute.

Unfortunately for the Halifax man, he had already entered the book before the break and the second one meant his team had to see out the rest of the game with only ten men.

Their task was even more uphill nine minutes later when Cheek atoned for his earlier miss by putting Braintree 2-0 ahead.

The chance just before half-time must have weighed heavily on Cheek so it was much to his credit that he kept his cool when a similar opportunity arose.

The Iron striker robbed Bencherif of the ball again and advanced one-on-one with the keeper again, but this time he kept his head, took the ball around Johnson and slid it into the back of the net.

It helped make things simpler for the Iron in the closing stages and Halifax rarely looked like getting back into the game from that point as Braintree closed things out effectively for another welcome three-point haul.

Braintree: Tom King, Remy Clerima, Mark Phillips, Matt Fry, Sam Habergham, Kenny Davis, Chez Isaac (Mitch Brundle 80), Alex Woodyard, Simeon Akinola (Taylor Miles 86), Dan Sparkes (Joe Gardner 78), Michael Cheek.

Subs not used: Anthony Edgar, Michael Crowe.

Referee: Alan Young.