SEAN Clohessy is in no doubt how important Braintree Town’s defence is going to be in their battle to beat the Vanarama National League drop this season.

The 30-year-old full-back has been in similar positions to the one that the Iron find themselves now when he has been at other clubs in his career and will be an experienced voice for manager Hakan Hayrettin to have in his dressing room.

Braintree are six points clear of the relegation places following their 0-0 draw with Maidstone United last weekend and a 5-0 mid-week win at Bromley.

The Iron will be looking to strengthen their position in two home games against Wrexham tomorrow (kick-off 3pm) and when former manager Danny Cowley brings his league-leading Lincoln City side to the Ironmongery Direct Stadium on Tuesday (kick-off 7.45pm).

Regardless of the outcome of those games, though, there is still a long way to go and Clohessy feels keeping things tight at the back - as they have in the last two games - is going to be key to the team’s success.

“I have been at a couple of clubs where we’ve been battling to stay up,” he said. “I had it at Colchester when it was similar to this and also when I was up in Scotland with Kilmarnock as well.

“You just have to knuckle down and try to keep as many clean sheets as you can.

“If you can do that and nick goals at the other end then you’ll be alright.

“We have players up there who can do that and no team has looked like they will steamroller us.

“That is a positive.

“Even in the game against Macclesfield the other day, we didn’t play well and only came away with a two-nil defeat whereas other sides may have come away with four or five goals against them.

“We work hard as a team and that’s very positive for us.

“I think it’s going to stay tight until the end of the season, though.

“We had a great week last week where we got six points from nine, but you lose one and someone else picks up a win and you’re left looking over your shoulder again.

“So it’s going to be tight, but I’d much rather be in our position with a four-point gap, a better goal difference and a game in hand than where some of the other teams are.

“If we carry on the way that we are, we’ll be completely fine.

“I honestly think we’ve got the squad to get clear.

“When I came in, we were second from bottom and I was a bit worried as I didn’t know what I was coming in to.

“But the boys have been top drawer.

“Not one team has come and steamrollered us.

“We’ve done really well and since October or November, we’ve been high up in the league’s form table.

“There haven’t been many games when I’ve come off feeling a defeat, so that can only be a positive.

“That’s promotion form and if we can keep going like we are then we’ll be fine.”