BRAINTREE TOWN 1 DOVER ATHLETIC 2

Vanarama National League

Of all the blows that have befallen Braintree Town, this may be the toughest one to swallow.

They were arguably the better team against their play-off chasing visitors from Kent, but Ricky Miller’s 90th minute strike proved a hammer blow to the Iron’s hopes of staying in the Vanarama National League.

Their 2-1 defeat has pitched Hakan Hayrettin’s team back into the relegation zone with four games left to play but they can justly feel unfortunate to have come away with nothing on this occasion.

They scored the early goal, through Michael Cheek, and held on to their lead for almost an hour of the game, but things changed in the last half hour.

Firstly, Dover found an equaliser against the run of play, secondly, Craig Braham-Barrett was sent off and then Miller deliver the third and final blow in the dying moments.

Miller is the league’s leading scorer and had been kept quiet up until that moment, but his goal may have big repercussions for Braintree’s hopes of staying up this year.

There were two changes for the Iron from the side that started the 3-0 defeat at York City seven days before.

Dropping to the bench were Kris Twardek and Reece Hall-Johnson, while Harry Lee and Craig Braham-Barrett were back in the starting line-up.

It was a remarkable return for Braham-Barrett as he hadn’t been involved in National League action since a 2-1 defeat by Boreham Wood on October 4 and had been recently playing for the Iron reserves in Thurlow Nunn League division one.

And the surprises didn’t stop there as there was also involvement again for Jon Ashton, who had returned after a loan spell at Ryman League premier division side Grays Athletic to take his place on the bench.

The game started with Braintree on the back foot, though.

A confident Dover took the game to their Essex hosts, moving the ball swiftly and with purpose as the Iron defence was given an early test.

The best opportunity came with a driven effort by Joe Healy that was tipped over by Braintree keeper Sam Beasant although it looked to be going over anyway.

Having weathered the early storm, though, the Iron were able to show some attacking intent of their own and it led to an opening goal in the tenth minute.

A lovely lay-off from Braham-Barrett to the onrushing Sean Clohessy was curled in beautifully by the full-back to an unmarked Michael Cheek at the far post and he made no mistake with a downward header into the goal.

It was the boost that the home side and their fans needed and there was very nearly a second in quick succession.

Braham-Barrett was clattered in a rough challenge just outside the Dover area.

With the Ironman on the floor, referee Alan Young waved play on and Sam Corne raced on but Mitch Walker made the save in the Dover goal.

The game settled down a bit after the frantic start, but it looked as though the hosts had been pegged back in the 20th minute.

After a mix up between Jake Goodman and Beasant at the back, Dover’s Ricky Modeste snuck in and turned the ball towards the Iron goal and striker Ricky Miller turned it in on the line.

However, with Athletic jubilant that action by Miller saw the linesman raise his flag for offside and Athletic celebrations were cut short as the goal was chalked off.

It was certainly a let-off for the Iron and they looked to take advantage with some flowing attacking play.

With Sam Corne, Chez Isaac and Lee sitting in a three-man midfield, they drew Dover defenders out of position and Braham-Barrett and Sean Clohessy were able to take advantage of the space ahead of them.

They knew they had to try and take advantage of that before half-time with a second goal but it wouldn’t come and the break arrived with the Iron holding a slender advantage.

The opening exchanges of the second half were punctuated by frequent blows on referee Young’s whistle and from a foul on Braham-Barrett, Braintree went close to a second goal.

The ball feel to Cheek and a lovely run through the Dover defence by the Iron striker was finished by a shot on the angle that fizzed just past the post.

There were also calls for penalties at both ends in the first ten minutes of the second period.

Firstly when Modeste and Beasant clashed in the home area and then when Cheek and Walker came together in the visitors’ but the referee gave the decision to the keepers on both occasions.

Walker was also involved to keep Braintree at bay in the 56th minute.

Excellent play by Braintree’s forwards saw the ball worked in the box to Sam Corne and his fierce low drive was only kept out by the feet of the Athletic keeper.

Braintree were making all the running at this point and Corne went close again soon after.

Another excellent move from the Iron down their right saw Clohessy and Cheek work well and a cross by the full-back found Corne whose header was cleared off the line.

In open play, it had looked to be all Braintree, so it was a huge disappointment that Dover were able to get an equaliser from a 64th minute set piece.

A foul had been given for a challenge on former Braintree full-back Aswad Thomas, who had come on as a substitute, and the ensuing free-kick was headed in by Connor Essam at the far post.

It was a setback to the Iron’s hopes, but the situation got worse three minutes later when a foul by Braham-Barrett on Modeste saw the Braintree player shown a straight red card.

The hosts were suddenly on the back foot after the double blow but they stabilised well and repelled a Dover surge, while still refusing to give up their own search for a second goal.

It was heroic play from the home players and they delivered some threatening moments for the Dover defence, with Goodman heading just over and then having a goal chalked off for a soft foul before Reece Hall-Johnson saw a shot blocked away.

However, just as it seemed they had done enough to at least earn a point, their hearts were broken in the 90th minute.

A ball thrown into the Iron box wasn’t cleared and it fell to the feet of Miller and the league’s leading scorer, who had had a quiet game to that point, needed no prompting to slam it into the back of the net.

There was no way back for the hosts from that third blow and they were left to rue what might have been after being arguably the better team over the entirety of the game.

Braintree Town: Sam Beasant, Sean Clohessy, Jerome Okimo, Manny Parry, Jake Goodman, Sam Corne (Reece Hall-Johnson 77), Chez Isaac, Harry Lee (Lee Barnard 90), Craig Braham-Barrett, Jack Midson, Michael Cheek.

Subs not used: Jon Ashton, Kyron Farrell, Kris Twardek.

Referee: Alan Young.