BRAINTREE TOWN 0 SOLIHULL MOORS 1

Vanarama National League

IN a season of frustrations for Braintree, Solihull Moors’ smash-and-grab win at the Ironmongery Direct Stadium must rate as one of the toughest to stomach.

Braintree defended well for the majority of this Vanarama National League game and returning goalkeeper Sam Beasant was not really troubled throughout.

At the other end, they had the better of the chances, including hitting the bar in the first half, however, they somehow lost it as Solihull struck the winner from a late penalty.

The visitors had lost their previous three games and it was perhaps a shortfall in confidence that saw them looking lacklustre.

The Iron, meanwhile, had hoped to build on a rousing 3-2 win at Woking in midweek, but the end result left them still searching for back-to-back wins this season as they dropped back into the bottom three in the table.

Braintree made two changes from the side that started in their 3-2 win at Woking in midweek.

Ipswich Town loanee Monty Patterson came in for his first Iron start in place of Sam Matthews, who dropped to the bench, while the other change came in the goalkeeping berth.

Daniel Lincoln dropped out between the sticks as there was a welcome return for Beasant, who saw his first action since injuring his hand in mid-September.

Braintree looked to make a positive start and it was their winning goal scorer from the trip to Woking – Simeon Akinola – who had the first sight of goal.

He unleashed a fierce shot after some good early play by the hosts, but it ricocheted off his team-mate Chez Isaac on its way to the target and Solihull escaped with parity intact.

With both sides occupying places towards the lower end of the table, the game developed into an edgy opening spell, but Braintree did go close to grabbing an opener on 15 minutes.

A nice passage of play saw Michael Cheek play in Jerome Okimo on the left and his beautifully-weighted cross was met by head of Lee Barnard, but he saw his header crash back off the crossbar.

The next opening for the Iron came on 24 minutes when an effort by Oli Muldoon took a deflection that wrong-footed Solihull keeper Daniel Lewis, but he did well to recover and made the save.

Lewis was also in the right place just after when Patterson got clear of his marker and made strong contact with a header that the Moors custodian was able to hold on to.

However, the recent problems of both sides was reflected in some cagey play elsewhere in the opening half as neither Braintree nor Solihull were able to gain an advantage.

Both sides looked brighter after the break and Braintree hit the visitors on the break, with Akinola creating a chance after nabbing the ball off Solihull defender Liam Daly.

Having opened the opportunity, though, and rather than playing in team-mate Patterson, who was unmarked at the back post, he went directly for goal and Lewis was able to make the save.

A strong run down the right by substitute Sam Matthews then almost unlocked the Solihull defence on 65 minute as the Bournemouth loanee saw him go past three players and get a great cross away.

His ball into the middle was inches away from the touch of Cheek that would have opened the scoring for the Iron.

Instead, the game stayed in a deadlock that neither side was able to muster the quality needed to break.

Chances remained at a premium, although Muldoon flashed a shot just past the post in the latter stages and it looked as though it would end at 0-0.

However, that changed in the 85th minute.

Iron defender Ian Gayle was caught out by the run of Solihull striker Andy Brown and brought his man down in the box leading to referee Dean Treleaven to point to the penalty spot.

It gave the visitors an unexpected opportunity and Harry White needed no second invitation as he stepped forward and buried the ball into the corner of the goal.

A frustrated Braintree tried their best to hit back and rescue a point but they were left to reflect on what might have been.

Braintree Town: Sam Beasant, Jerome Okimo, Ian Gayle (Jack Midson 88), Lee Barnard (Claudio Dias 80), George Elokobi, Jake Goodman, Chez Isaac, Monty Patterson (Sam Matthews 57), Oli Muldoon, Simeon Akinola, Michael Cheek.

Subs not used: Harry Lee, Jon Ashton.

Referee: Dean Treleaven.