Braintree Town's Wembley dreams are denied by the Mariners

(after extra-time)

Vanarama National League Play-off semi-final second leg

(Grimsby win 2-1 on aggregate)

Manager Danny Cowley always said Braintree Town were trying to achieve the impossible this year and so their Wembley dreams proved on this occasion.

They have battled bravely and resolutely all season and the second leg of their Vanarama National League play-off semi-final was no different.

However, dreams of a play-off final at Wembley Stadium were denied by a Grimsby Town team who advanced after a 2-0 win at the Avanti Stadium.

Braintree held a 1-0 advantage after the first leg – thanks to Kenny Davis’ penalty – and they worked unbelievably hard to defend that to stay in front.

However, they were never really on top in the second leg as Grimsby pressed hard across almost 120 minutes of football and were deserved winners on the day.

However, that should take nothing away from the Iron’s achievement as they showed remarkable spirit and never gave up.

A crowd of 3,102 – 733 of whom were from Grimsby – basked in the warm May sunshine and saw an encounter that, unsurprisingly, was rather tense.

That attendance was the biggest for a Braintree Town game since a 1952 fixture against Tottenham Hotspur and the home fans among that number should have been incredibly proud of their team.

They were on the back foot for much of it and were pegged back by Padraig Amond’s penalty in the second half before Omar Bogle’s headed goal in extra-time sent the Mariners through.

While Grimsby made three changes from the first leg at Blundell Park on Thursday, Braintree stuck with the same starting line-up that had proved so effective in their previous two games.

They had recorded two wins, scored four goals and conceded none, so boss Danny Cowley saw no reason to ring the changes.

His team responded with a positive start that showed they weren’t going to just sit on the 1-0 aggregate lead they held from the first leg.

However, both they and Grimsby took a while to settle and the closest either came to an early breakthrough was when the Mariners’ Omar Bogle fired in a shot from outside the box that was easily taken by Tom King in the home goal.

At the other end, scoring opportunities became scarcer as Braintree were pegged back by a Grimsby team who knew that they had to find the back of the net.

The Mariners started to look more threatening in forward areas as the half progressed and Bogle headed dangerously towards goal from a corner that King had to hold on to again.

The Iron keeper also had to be alert when Padraig Amond’s header bounced up off the turf and only a scrambling save kept the ball out.

Despite the visitors having the better of much of the action, though, Braintree kept working incredibly hard in searing temperatures to make sure clear-cut chances were kept to a minimum.

Although Grimsby dominated possession – as they had in the first leg – the Iron kept their defensive shape well and showed great determination.

It meant they held on to their slender aggregate advantage at the break, but knowing it was only a narrow one also meant they had to start positively in the second half.

They did that and Grimsby keeper James McKeown had to pull off a smart save in the 49th minute to save a shot driven in by Cheek from the edge of the box.

However, just as in the first half, Grimsby pressed more and more as the half wore on and started to pose more of a threat as the Iron dropped deep.

They went close from a corner that fell on to the head of Craig Disley, but he couldn’t direct it on the target and the ball flew just past the post.

They did pull level, though, in the 73rd minute but it had to come from a penalty.

Another corner was sent over and referee Simon Bennett spotted some shirt pulling as players jostled for position in the area and pointed straight to the spot.

It was Grimsby’s top-scorer, Padraig Amond, who stepped forward and he calmly slotted the ball in just as Davis had for Braintree in the first leg.

It suddenly added an extra spring in Grimsby’s step and the Braintree goal was under assault.

Bogle remained the most potent threat and a superb drive at the home defence ended with him smashing a curling shot off the post.

The Iron goal was under siege and it took some desperate defending to keep the aggregate score at one apiece as the Mariners looked to press their advantage home.

They did manage to hold out for the 90 minutes, but they headed into extra-time knowing they would be at a man disadvantage for the ensuing 30 minutes.

Mark Phillips had been shown a yellow card for a foul late on and then a last-ditch challenge on Jon Nolan was deemed worthy of another by the referee and he had to depart early.

It was just another layer to the advantage that the Mariners held and one that would make Braintree’s job all the harder.

That continued with Grimsby on the front foot at the start of extra-time and at times, it looked like an attack versus defence drill with Braintree defending their box and the visitors searching for a way through.

The fact that they failed to do so in the first period of extra-time said far more about Braintree’s spirit than about Grimsby’s ability and it meant the teams were still locked together heading into the final 15 minutes of a gripping tie.

That parity lasted until the 110th minute of the tie, though, as the Braintree rearguard action finally gave way when Bogle rose and headed home from a long free-kick drilled into their area.

It proved to be a killer blow for the fatigued Braintree players who just didn’t have enough to respond and it was Grimsby who advanced to face Forest Green Rovers in next Sunday’s Wembley final.

Braintree: Tom King, Sean Long, Mark Phillips, Matt Fry, Sam Habergham, Mitch Brundle, Matt Paine (Harry Cardwell 86), Kenny Davis, Alex Woodyard, Simeon Akinola (Dan Sparkes 70), Michael Cheek (Sean Marks 68).

Subs not used: Taylor Miles, Remy Clerima.

Referee: Simon Bennett