BRAINTREE TOWN 1 GATESHEAD 4

Vanarama National League

It may have been a game that saw more attacking threat from Braintree, but four goals at the other end meant they fell to a fifth Vanarama National League defeat of the season against Gateshead.

Braintree had struggled to make too much of an impact going forward at Guiseley the week before, but the return of Michael Cheek from injury helped them as an attacking force.

However, the visitors took advantage of some defensive lapses to record their first-ever victory at Braintree as they claimed three points with a 4-1 win.

Braintree made two changes from the side that started at Guiseley seven days before, with Rhodell Gordon coming back into the midfield and striker Cheek returning from an ankle injury.

That meant Craig Braham-Barrett and Brandon Goodship dropped to the bench where there was also a place for Ian Gayle as he came back from injury.

It was a pretty cagey start by both teams with little in the way of clear-cut chances in the opening ten minutes, but the Iron saw an opening when a long throw dropped to Simeon Akinola in the box.

He gathered well and hit a low shot, but Sam Johnson made a decent stop in the visitors’ goal.

Akinola was then involved again when his trickery allowed him to break free and run at the Gateshead back line, but the end ball was just the wrong side of Cheek’s run.

There were also threats starting to come at the other end, with Manny Smith forcing Sam Beasant into a save from a corner and Barney Williams had to recover well to block an effort from Wes York.

Braintree still looked the more likely to take the lead though.

A good bit of play by Gordon found Lee Barnard in a wide position and his superb swinging shot was almost turned into his own net by Gateshead captain Liam Hogan.

Hogan then had to clear from the resulting corner and Jake Goodman then saw a header cleared off the line by Reece Styche.

So it came as a bit of a surprise when Gateshead took the lead as Styche made an impact at the other end.

A ball over the top of the Iron back line caught them out and Styche was given a clear run to calmly lift the ball over an advancing Beasant in the 24th minute.

It took some of the wind out of Braintree’s sails but they responded well and had more of an attacking threat than they did at Guiseley, but Hogan proved to be an unmoveable force in the centre of the visitors’ back line.

It meant the hosts stayed behind at the interval but with the game delicately poised for the second 45 minutes.

What Braintree didn’t need was to concede a second, but that was exactly what happened after just seven minutes when an old boy came back to haunt his former team.

It was Mitch Brundle, who made the switch to the north east from Essex over the summer, who provided an excellent cross for Styche to head home for his second goal of the game.

Going two behind was certainly a setback for the Iron and they knew a quick response was crucial, so were relieved when it came just three minutes later.

The goal came from a corner when Goodman slammed a shot against the post and Cheek was first to react as he tucked away the loose ball.

It was game on again, but rather than the Iron kicking on, it was the visitors who upped the pressure at the other end.

They felt aggrieved to have a goal scrubbed off when an offside flag denied them when the ball was in the back of the net, but the third goal wasn’t long in coming.

Changes to the Gateshead midfield allowed them to flood men forward to keep the pressure on the hosts’ back line and that told in the 71st minute when Paddy McLaughlin drilled the ball low past Beasant to restore the two-goal advantage.

Braintree once again showed good attacking intent and substitute Sam Matthews, who was making his debut after joining on loan from AFC Bournemouth, forced Gateshead keeper Johnson into a good save low to his right.

However, the Iron remained vulnerable at the back and Wes York had space to stride through and fire home the visitors’ fourth of the day to really take the game away from Braintree.

It wrapped up a miserable afternoon for the Iron as they continued to search for a consistent platform to build from this season.

Braintree Town: Sam Beasant, Barney Williams, Jerome Okimo, Jake Goodman, Jon Ashton, Harry Lee, Rohdell Gordon (Sam Matthews 66), Chez Isaac, Simeon Akinola, Michael Cheek, Lee Barnard (Brandon Goodship 58).

Unused subs: Craig Braham-Barrett, Ian Gayle, Sam Corne.

Referee: Neil Hair.