BRAD Quinton was quick to praise the commitment of his Braintree Town players as they showed a never-say-die attitude to make sure they got something from their Vanarama National League South derby with Chelmsford City.

The Iron boss said he was “proud” of the way his team battled until the end of the game and stuck to their game plan to snatch a late equaliser as Marcel Barrington struck in stoppage-time to secure a 2-2 draw.

Quinton said: “It was a feeling of joy at the end and I was pleased that we never gave up.

“It shows true commitment from my players to come back like that.

“We never went long, even though we were two-one down and we kept playing football.

“We got the ball down and I thought it looked like there was only one team out there who were going to score towards the end.

“Fair play to my boys as they stuck at it and it came off.

“We finished the game like a train.

“The commitment from them was excellent after going behind in front of a big crowd.

“No-one was hiding and they just carried on going and going and going.

“I was proud of them and what they did at the end; even the subs who came on, they all did a great job for me.

“We went for it at the end and I think we deserved it.

“If we’d come away with no points then I’d have been really down in the dumps, but I’m proud of the boys for what they did.”

Quinton wasn’t convinced that referee Robert Massey-Ellis had got it right in awarding Chelmsford a second-half penalty that put them 2-1 ahead, though.

“I never thought it was a penalty in a million years,” he said.

“I was right in line with it.

“Their boy did what he needed to do at this level as any contact and they go over, but it a higher game like this was, I think the referee looked at it and thought he had to do it. He made his mind up even though there was no appeal other than the boy who went over.”

However, the Braintree boss feels the way his side ended the game has set them up to head to the Clarets’ Melbourne Park home for the return encounter in Chelmsford on New Year’s Day.

“The positivity of how we finished, how we played, the substitutions we made will have put us in good stead,” added Quinton.

“We just had one thing in mind - that was to get something from the game of football. I’m pleased with how it finished and I’m buzzing now for next week and the game at Chelmsford.

“I think it’s set itself up for more of the same at Chelmsford.

“We know what these games are all about and it will be the same at Melbourne Park.”