OXFORD UNITED 3 BRAINTREE TOWN 1

FA Cup first round replay

You can’t say they were blown away, but Braintree Town’s FA Cup campaign ran out of puff on a windy night at Oxford United’s Kassam Stadium.

In the end, the hosts’ Football League pedigree showed through as they denied the Iron a first-ever place in the second round.

Storm Barney did more than just breeze through Oxfordshire and the fierce wind that whistled down the pitch was a factor throughout the 90 minutes.

However, it was the U’s who coped far better with the conditions when they had the gale blowing in their face in the second half.

The Iron made two changes to their line-up from the one that started their Vanarama National League game at FC Halifax Town on Saturday.

Mitch Brundle dropped to the bench, while loanee Sammie Szmodics was not available as his parent club – Colchester United – are still involved in the FA Cup.

That meant Matt Fry returned to the defence and Sean Marks came back into Braintree’s attack.

Oxford had the fierce wind on their backs in the opening 45 minutes and looked to make use of it early as Alex MacDonald worked an opening on the edge of the box and unleashed a shot.

Fortunately for Braintree, Matt Paine had read the danger and made a wonderful block and that was the closest that the hosts came in the opening ten minutes.

Instead it was Braintree who had perhaps the greater threat going forward, with Michael Cheek firing just over from the edge of the box and Chez Isaac unlucky not to get on the end of one delightful ball forward from Alex Woodyard.

However, once the opening exchanges had been made, the hosts settled into more of a rhythm and used the strong wind to pin Braintree back.

Dogged defending by the Iron kept clear-cut chances to a minimum, but the U’s had a sight of goal in the 29th minute from a free-kick 30 yards out.

Matt Paine had fouled Patrick Hoban in a central position and Alex MacDonald stepped up to drive a great shot in but the ball glanced off the crossbar and away.

It was a let off for the visitors, but they were soon causing problems of their own at the other end of the pitch.

As he advanced into the U’s area, Chez Isaac went over under a challenge from Joe Skarz.

Referee Daniel England looked as if he was going to book the Braintree man for simulation, but linesman Daniel Robathan saw it differently and informed his fellow official that it should be a penalty.

The referee pointed to the spot and Kenny Davis coolly planted the ball down the middle and into the back of the net for an unlikely lead.

The home fans were audibly rattled by the goal, but their team put them back on a positive track before half-time as Liam Sercombe levelled the scores in the 42nd minute.

For all the passing football they had tried to play, it was a ball over the top of the Iron’s back line that opened up the visitors.

It set Sercombe free and he slotted the ball calmly into the bottom corner of the goal to give Norris no chance as it ended all-square at the interval.

There was very nearly a perfect start to the second half for the hosts as they worked the ball beautifully to the edge of the Iron penalty area where MacDonald curled a shot towards goal.

The only things that kept it out were the tips of Norris’ fingers as he pulled off a wonderful save to maintain the parity but it highlighted the threat that Oxford could pose against the wind.

What Braintree couldn’t afford was mistakes and one error by Remy Clerima saw them caught in possession on the edge of their own area, allowing Sercombe the chance to get a shot away.

It clattered against the crossbar as the Iron survived once more but they were living dangerously in the early stages of the half.

And the pressure paid off in the 64th minute when former Colchester United loanee Roofe skipped past a challenge from Paine on the Oxford right.

He got to the byline and cut the ball back to where Hoban was waiting to sidefoot it into the net for an equaliser that was deserved on the balance of play after the break.

They went further ahead in the 80th minute when Mitch Brundle was judged to have fouled Callum O’Dowda in the area and Hoban rifled his penalty kick into the back of the net.

That meant it was a long way back for Braintree, but they aren’t the type of side to accept defeat and pushed forward again.

It looked like they may have a lifeline as England pointed to the penalty spot for the third time in the game when Marks was bundled over.

However, Davis tried to place the ball this time and Oxford keeper Benji Buchel made an easy save low to his right to maintain the home side’s two-goal cushion.

And that was how it stayed at the final whistle as Oxford set up a second round tie against Forest Green Rovers and denied the Iron a historic FA Cup achievement.

Braintree Town: Will Norris, Remy Clerima (Taylor Miles 77), Sam Habergham, Chez Isaac (Mitch Brundle 53), Matt Paine, Matt Fry, Kenny Davis, Sean Marks, Danny Sparkes, Michael Cheek (Ibra Sekajja 82), Alex Woodyard.

Subs not used: Chris Haigh, Simeon Akinola, Anthony Edgar, Matthew Baxter.

Referee: Darren England.