KYRAN Clements' dramatic winner deep into stoppage-time sealed Braintree Town a 3-2 win over Truro City in their first National League South game of the season, writes DAVID WARD.
The famous old saying that's 'the show ain't over til the fat lady sings' was such a truism at Cressing Road when the visitors from Cornwall snatched a hardly-deserved equaliser in the sixth minute of added on time, only for the Iron to immediately counter attack down the other end and grab a deserved win a minute later.
This dramatic finale to what was an exciting game that kept the crowd of 484 on their toes throughout to the final whistle saw Braintree run out worthy winners and earn their first victory of the season.
It left Iron manager Angelo Harrop stressed out but thoroughly delighted with his side's all-round improvement, following their opening-day defeat at Taunton.
He said: "I'm really pleased not just with the last-gasp winning goal but for the all round performance of the team and how they responded against such a well-organised team.
"Again we've had to rebuild our side from last season with several young players coming in and having stepped up to this level and it's a big jump up for them.
"I think in this game they showed great tenacity, determination and put in such hard work and gelled together with the more experienced players in the side.
"This level of football is really hard and can be cruel at times which we experienced in our opening day defeat at Taunton but I thought the way the whole team responded was fantastic.
"I felt in the first half we controlled the game, played some excellent football and caused them all kind of problems and we scored two goals and should have had more.
"The second half naturally saw them come at us but credit to the players they coped with all the pressure even though we gave them an easy goal early in the half which was simply down to a mistake by our keeper Jack Sims.
"These things happen but I can't criticise Jack because he has saved us so on many occasions in the past and been a real hero.
"Naturally that gave the opposition a lift and they did cause us a few potential problems but we coped well but I was disappointed in us conceding their equaliser six minutes into added time because I think overall we just shaded it on the day."
Harrop was also full of praise for league debut striker Will Davis, who immediately struck up a fine rapport with fellow striker Tom Blackwell.
He said: "I feel he and Tom are going to do the business of scoring goals this season and it was no surprise to me that Will won the supporters' player of the day award."
Braintree took the lead on 22 minutes when the impressive Toby Stevenson strode through the visitors' rearguard latching on to a defensive mistake, to drill home a fine shot into the net.
They added a second on 43 minutes when the ever-alert Blackwell whipped by static defenders, rounded the goalkeeper to slot the ball into the net.
Having weathered the visitors' early second-half pressure, Braintree were denied that all important third goal when Blackwell stretched clear of the City defence to neatly slide the ball into the net.
However, the assistant referee flagged for offside when in fact that when the ball was played through, Blackwell was clearly in an onside position.
Undeterred the Iron kept pushing forward and again late on had another goal disallowed by referee Morgan Conn.
It set up such a dramatic finale with the Iron snatching that late, deserved winning goal.
Next up for the Iron is another home game on Tuesday against Maidstone United, kick-off 7.45pm.
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