Braintree Town manager Alan Devonshire felt it was a case of two “decent” sides cancelling each other out as the Iron and FC Halifax Town shared a point apiece in a goalless draw at the Amlin Stadium.

The hosts had chances to win the game – particularly from a Michael Bakare effort late on – but also had to withstand a barrage of high balls into their box from set pieces and long throw-ins by the Shaymen’s Marc Roberts.

So Devonshire was pleased to see his team keep their fifth clean sheet of the campaign as they drew their first game in the Vanarama Conference Premier this season.

He said: “It was two decent sides cancelling each other out really.

“I was pleased with a clean sheet as we defended well when we needed to.

“It’s hard to play against that when the ball is bombing into our box from long throws and all that.

“But we defended well and I don’t think Nick (Hamann) really had a save to make.

“I think there was only one for him to really deal with from a free-kick.

“And it looked like there was only one side trying to win it at the end when we had a few little chances when we could have nicked it.

“But it’s our first drawn game this season and I’m not going to complain.”

The point they earned took Halifax back up to second in the Vanarama Conference Premier table, while Braintree stayed 11th.