Braintree put a spanner in the promotion works again

Vanarama Conference Premier

For the second week running, Braintree Town put a spanner in the works of one of the Vanarama Conference Premier’s promotion hopefuls.

Having beaten Gateshead at home seven days previously, the Iron denied Forest Green Rovers a vital two points as they held them to a 1-1 draw on the road.

The hosts headed into the game on the back of an 11-game unbeaten run and sitting fifth in the table, but a brave effort from the visitors saw them take a deserved share of the spoils.

Braintree made just one change from the side that had started the 1-0 win against Gateshead seven days before as striker Sean Marks came back in and Dan Sparkes dropped to the bench.

The Iron started the game positively with Brundle having a couple of early sights on goal and Chez Isaac heading over from a Kenny Davis cross, but it was the hosts who drew first blood in the 22nd minute.

Having conceded a corner, the Iron were caught when Rob Sinclair’s ball into the centre was met by the head of Clough, who evaded the attentions of Marks, and buried it in the back of the net.

Braintree looked to settle after the setback and only a solid stop by Rovers keeper Steve Arnold denied Matt Paine from levelling the scores with a shot from outside the area seven minutes later.

However, they were almost two behind straight away as Forest Green pressure brought more scoring chances.

Iron defender Remi Clerima had to clear off the line an effort by striker Jon Parkin, and from the resulting corner, Aarran Racine had a headed effort on goal and Nick Hamann was forced into a good save.

It meant another corner and Clough got another opportunity to make a mark on the scoresheet, but he wasn’t as accurate on that occasion and sent the ball over the target and into the stand.

The end-to-end nature of the half continued and Braintree were inches from finding an equaliser as Simeon Akinola cut in from the left and curled in a shot that looked to be heading into the top corner before just clearing the crossbar.

And their positive play found its reward before the break as the Iron got a long-distance equaliser in stoppage-time at the end of the half.

A free-kick was won about 35 yards out as Marks was caught by a foul that earned Racine a yellow card.

Home keeper Arnold thought it was going to be a cross that was delivered but Brundle caught him out with a stunning shot that flew into the corner to make it level at half-time.

The goal didn’t herald a flood of chances after the break as both sides struggled to carve out clear-cut opportunities.

Bernard Mensah sent a shot just wide in the 57th minute, while Rovers’ Kurtis Guthrie tried his luck from distance on 70 minutes, but Hamann managed to hold on to the ball as it threatened to squirm out to Parkin.

The hosts made some attacking changes off the bench in search of a winner and the Iron keeper had to pull off a wonderful save in the 77th minute to make sure it stayed level.

The combination of Elliott Frear and Jon Parkin had proved crucial in winning the game for Rovers at the Miles Smith Stadium and it almost did the trick again.

Frear managed to get a cross in and Parkin got in front of Alan Massey but Hamann got down well to keep the ball out.

James Norwood fizzed a shot just past the post with five minutes remaining as the home side pushed for a winner, but Braintree shut up their shop effectively to make sure they earned an impressive point on the road as well as putting a spanner in Forest Green’s promotion works.

Braintree: Nick Hamann, Sam Habergham, Alan Massey, Kenny Davis, Mitch Brundle, Remy Clerima, Simeon Akinola (Dan Sparkes 90), Matt Paine, Chez Isaac, Sean Marks, Bernard Mensah (Ryan Peters 88). Subs not used: Joe Maybanks, George Pullen, Carl Pentney. Referee: Adam Hopkins.