Braintree Town’s players proved that they can make manager Brad Quinton’s dreams come true as they booked their place in the Vanarama National League play-offs.

The Iron beat Gloucester City 3-0 at the IronmongeryDirect Stadium on the final day of the campaign to finish sixth in the table and set up a play-off tie at Hemel Hempstead on Wednesday.

It was the finale that the Iron had been hoping for at the start of the day as they secured the points they required to finish in the top seven spots and be in the end-of-season play-offs.

They started the day knowing they had to at least match the result obtained by St Albans City to be assured of a place in the play-offs, but their 3-0 win left no doubts about the finish.

The win was brought about by three second-half goals.

A wonderful strike by centre-half Josh Hill punctuated two goals from Reece Grant as the Iron striker repaid the faith shown in him by boss Quinton in bringing him back into the starting line-up.

Grant had begun the previous game – a 0-0 draw against Oxford City on the bench – but Quinton having a dream that his striker would score twice for him proved a good premonition.

“The boys delivered the goods in the end,” said the Braintree boss.

“We changed the formation during the first half against Gloucester as we weren’t quite at it and I think it helped us as the game went on and we began to get a hold of it.

“It was a very good performance with another clean sheet and just an amazing feeling to get over the line.

“We showed some good stuff with good balls in and around the area and some good goals.

“What a cracker it was from Josh – a goal of the season contender!

“Josh has been immense since he has come in for us and Reece as well; he has bided his time and worked so hard in training.

“The goals were worked really well.

“I had spoken to Reece before the game and told him he was playing and I told him I actually had a dream the night before the game about him scoring two goals.

“But you can’t dream about Josh’s goal – it was unbelievable.

“I don’t think he’d hit that again if he had 40 or 50 chances, but I was pleased with three very good goals and a solid clean sheet.

“In fact I was pleased with them as they’re good boys and they listen to what we want from them.

“It’s all positive for me and I’m proud of them.”

Hill, meanwhile, was delighted with his contributions at either end of the pitch in the 3-0 win against Gloucester.

The former Wealdstone centre-half not only helped a tight Iron defensive unit keep a third clean sheet in their last six games, he also fired in a wonder strike on 76 minutes to give Braintree a two-goal buffer.

It came from a corner by Billy Crook that he curled in from 25 yards, but Hill said the build-up wasn’t as planned.

“It’s funny because the corner was actually rubbish and I told Bill that,” he said.

“His deliveries from corners had been good all game but that was probably his first bad one of the season.

“I normally rush in on the keeper at corners, but we were one-nil up and I just thought I’d hit it so luckily I caught it well and it went in the top corner.”