BARROW AFC 2 BRAINTREE TOWN 1

Vanarama National League

Goals late in both halves of the game saw Braintree Town lose 2-1 in the Vanarama National League at Barrow AFC.

There were 13 Braintree fans who made the lengthy trip up to Cumbria and were among the 966 at Holker Street, but it wasn’t a jubilant return back to Essex for the small group.

The Iron took the lead with a penalty from Chez Isaac after bossing the early stages of the game and after being pegged back late in the first half, fell to a late hammer blow in the 87th minute.

Braintree had the best of the early part of the game after making a strong start and the first chance fell to them with seven minutes on the clock.

A ball was pulled back to the six-yard line to Jack Midson, who stabbed it towards goal and after Joel Dixon had parried the initial shot on to the underside of the bar, the home keeper just about managed to scramble the ball under control before it crossed the line at the second attempt.

It was a reprieve for the hosts, but they remained under pressure as Braintree’s players answered manager Jamie Day’s call for a strong start.

There was no sign of the previous day’s long journey to the north-west in their legs and they got their reward in terms of a goal in the 21st minute.

It came from a penalty, when referee Peter Wright pointed to the spot after a challenge at the back by striker Byron Harrison and Chez Isaac stepped forward to convert the spot-kick.

It put Braintree ahead, but they were unable to build on that lead as Barrow gradually came back into the game and they levelled the score just before half-time.

It came from a throw-in when an initial effort was headed over Jamie Butler by Harrison and after the ball came down off the underside of the bar, Richie Bennett kocked the ball in from close range.

That certainly gave the hosts a lift and they began the second half at a high tempo but Braintree almost regained the lead when Dixon had to save well to keep out a header from Midson.

Neither side were really able to take control, although Braintree went close when another Midson header was off target when he would probably have expected to do better.

While Barrow probably had marginally the better of the second 45 minutes, the two stayed on level terms although Andy Haworth went close twice for Barrow just after coming on as a substitute.

And the home side snatched the points at the death as, just as they had in the first half, they scored three minutes before the whistle.

The late blow for the Iron came as a shot from Alex-ray Harvey came through a crowd of players hit the foot of the post and Harrison was on hand to tap the ball into the net for the game’s late winner.

Braintree: Jamie Butler, Barney Williams, Jon Ashton, Chez Isaac, Jerome Okimo, Jake Goodman, Sam Corne, Harry Lee, Jack Midson, Michael Cheek (Craig Braham-Barrett 48), Simeon Akinola.

Subs not used: Ian Gayle, Zach Fagan, Rhodell Gordon.

Referee: Peter Wright