BRAINTREE TOWN 4 ALTRINCHAM 2

Vanarama Conference Premier

Braintree Town’s players made sure their season concluded positively as a brace of goals by Jordan Cox and one apiece for James Mulley and Bernard Mensah earned them a 4-2 win against Altrincham.

There may be uncertainty over who their next permanent manager will be after the departure of Alan Devonshire, but it was a classy performance against the Robins to end caretaker boss, Mark Sansom’s, time in charge.

The win lifted Braintree up to finish their season sitting 14th in the Vanarama Conference Premier table.

There were five changes for Braintree from the side that started Sansom’s first game in charge – the 3-0 defeat at Wrexham.

Coming into the line-up was the entire bench from seven days before with Nick Hamann, Simeon Akinola, Mulley and Jordan Cox all returning and Joe Maybanks making his full Iron debut.

Those dropping out were Mensah, Carl Pentney and Sean Marks, who all dropped to the bench, while Remy Clerima was unavailable and Chez Isaac had a hamstring injury.

Braintree took control of the game from the first whistle, playing at a tempo that harassed Altrincham and they moved the ball effectively down both flanks and through the middle.

Mitch Brundle forced Robins keeper David Parton into an early save with a swerving shot from 30 yards, while Cox really should have found the target with a couple of headers.

However, it was the head of Mulley that put the Iron ahead in the 36th minute when he slipped away from his marker and nodded Dan Sparkes’ free-kick in.

It was a just reward for Braintree’s dominance, but they were caught napping at the back three minutes later as James Lawrie took advantage of indecision in the home defence to make it level at the break.

It was a slow start to the second half by both sides, but Braintree ignited proceedings with a spell of scintillating play that brought two goals for Cox.

The first came after a long ball forward from Alan Massey and a mistake by Altrincham centre-half Gianluca Havern that allowed the Iron striker to advance on goal and plant a lovely shot past Parton.

And as the hosts ran rampant, with Sparkes striking the bar with a stunning effort from the edge of the box, Cox headed powerfully home from a pinpoint cross from Sparkes.

The Robins made a change to try to get back in the game and substitute Kyle Perry got a goal back with 12 minutes to go as a cross that had been intended for Damien Reeves went in off the post.

However, Braintree weren’t about to be denied and four minutes later, when the ball ricocheted into the path of Mensah, the Watford loanee charged clear and drilled a well-placed shot past Parton to sink any hopes the travelling supporters may have had of a comeback.

Braintree: Nick Hamann, Mitch Brundle, Matt Paine, James Mulley (George Pullen 79), Sam Habergham, Kenny Davis, Simeon Akinola, Alan Massey, Jordan Cox, Joe Maybanks (Sean Marks 87), Dan Sparkes (Bernard Mensah 75). Subs not used: Michael Bakare, Carl Pentney.