GRIMSBY TOWN 0 BRAINTREE TOWN 1

Vanarama National League

It may not have been as emphatic as the 5-0 win that Braintree town had in their first-ever meeting with Grimsby Town, but their 1-0 win at Blundell Park could possibly even more significant.

The Mariners look set to finish in the Vanarama National League play-off places this year and Braintree are hoping to join them, so Taylor Miles’ 77th minute goal could prove to be a crucial one.

The Iron had gone four games without a win ahead of their trip to Grimsby, but had been buoyed by their 1-1 draw with Forest Green Rovers on Saturday and they carried that on against another of the National League’s most prominent sides.

The Mariners have an FA Trophy final to look forward to at the end of the season, but they had National League promotion on their mind in this game so will be disappointed with its outcome.

Miles proved to be Braintree’s hero when he came off the bench to score the winner against Wrexham in January and the former Concord Rangers midfielder repeated the feat on an arguably even bigger occasion as the Iron picked up three priceless points.

They kept them in sixth place, but just as importantly, took them back level on points with fifth-placed Tranmere Rovers and meant they stayed ahead of Eastleigh.

The result also gave the Iron a 22nd clean sheet of the season.

Braintree made two changes from the side that started their 1-1 draw with Forest Green Rovers last weekend.

Manager Danny Cowley continued his policy of rotating strikers Sean Marks and Michael Cheek, with the former dropping to the bench and the latter taking his place in the starting side.

The other change saw Dan Sparkes return to the team, while Simeon Akinola didn’t make the trip up to Grimsby.

The first half saw neither side really get on top as the respective defences were largely on top.

Any opportunities that did arise were either off target when shots did come in or were shepherded to safety and it was little surprise that the half-time break came with the game still goalless.

That wouldn’t have been an unwelcome situation for the Iron as they looked to contain their hosts and hit them with counter-attacking play.

Grimsby gave their visitors a bit of a scare just after the restart when Padraig Amond headed just over from Andy Monkhouse’s cross and Pat Hoban then had a good sight of goal but once again, the attempt was off target.

It was then the Iron’s turn to press with Sam Habergham putting a good cross into the danger area and Cheek was just unable to get to the ball before it was cleared.

Both sides were unable to find the quality that they needed in the final third that would unlock the opposition’s defence.

However, that changed in the 77th minute when Miles did show the quality required to put the Iron ahead.

Having only come on as a substitute three minutes before, Miles took the ball off Josh Gowling as he tried to make a clearance, cut in from the right and showed great composure to finish from an acute angle.

It was the touch of quality that Braintree needed and they held on to their slender lead in the dying stages.

Grimsby hit the woodwork deep into time added on at the end with a late scare for the visitors, but Miles’ strike was the difference at the end.

Braintree: Tom King, Sam Habergham, Mark Phillips, Matt Fry, Sean Long, Mitch Brundle, Chez Isaac (Taylor Miles 74), Kenny Davis, Alex Woodyard, Dan Sparkes (Anthony Edgar 79), Michael Cheek.

Unused subs: Sean Marks, Chris Haigh, Jack Powell.

Referee: Robert Jones.