BRAINTREE TOWN 0 OXFORD CITY 0

Vanarama National League South

It was the game that quality seemed to forget as Braintree Town saw their four-match Vanarama National League South winning run come to an end.

The Iron were held to a goalless draw by Oxford City in a rearranged game that was scrappy throughout, but it was at least another point added to Braintree’s push for the play-offs.

The game was played after the first meeting between the two sides was abandoned after 31 minutes due to waterlogging of the pitch on Good Friday, but it proved a frustrating 90 minutes for the Iron.

They stayed in the top seven but it wasn’t the three-point haul that they wanted and they know a win could be vital in their final game of the campaign at home against Gloucester City on Saturday, but their destiny is at least in their own hands heading into that season finale.

Braintree kept faith with the same starting line-up to the one that had won 2-1 at Truro City on Saturday.

That win had been their fourth in a row and the confidence in the side was evident from the start against Oxford as they began on the front foot.

The runs of Roman Michael-Percil were incisive in the early stages but clear-cut chances remained elusive and the closest they came to scoring was when Luke Allen closed down a rushed clearance by Oxford keeper Craig King and ball flew off the Iron midfielder and just wide of the goal.

With the Iron not getting the early breakthrough they wanted, the game stagnated a bit and most of the play was confined to the central third of the pitch as Oxford did an effective job in drawing the hosts’ fire.

The closest the visitors went, meanwhile, was when Zac McEachran’s 15th minute shot was deflected, but Nathan McDonald made a comfortable save in the home goal.

Just before the half-hour mark, though, there were opportunities at both ends of the pitch.

First, on 26 minutes, there was a great chance for Oxford as the ball was worked across the Iron box by McEachran to an unmarked Kavan Cotter at the back post.

However, his composure let him down at the key time and he pulled his shot wide of the target.

That was then followed within 60 seconds at the other end where a back pass eluded King and he had to scramble back to clear off his own line.

Then in the follow up play, Billy Crook's side-footed effort was saved by the Oxford keeper to keep it goalless heading into the latter part of the half.

That was how it stayed at the break as play became scrappy and the start of the second half was little better.

Neither side dominated possession or territory meaning pressure could not be created at either end of the pitch and scoring opportunities were scarce.

With chances not appearing in open play, Braintree looked to set pieces and an opening came from a 61st minute corner, but Josh Hill could only guide the ball wide with his header when King should really have been tested.

The Oxford keeper was called into action on 69 minutes, though, when a looping cross by Allen from the right was met on the volley by Ben Wyatt, but it was straight at King and he made the save comfortably.

Braintree pressed in the latter stages of the game, but the necessary quality eluded them on the night and it stayed locked at 0-0 to leave them frustrated.

Braintree Town: Nathan McDonald, Jon Muleba, Ricky Gabriel, Josh Hill, Mark-Anthony Okoye, Diaz Wright, Luke Allen (Marcel Barrington 80), Billy Crook, Dan Thompson, Roman Michael-Percil (Reece Grant 63), Ben Wyatt.

Subs not used: Jack Curtis, Mahrez Bettache, Christian Frimpong.

Referee: Jason Richardson.