Braintree Town manager Brad Quinton said he was proud of how his players conducted themselves in gaining their opening three-point haul of the Vanarama National League season.

Joe Ellul’s headed goal in the 55th minute was enough to secure a 1-0 win at Gateshead that notched the Iron’s first mark in the wins column in the 2018/19 National League table.

It was something they had failed to do in their opening ten games and the three points were enough to lift the Iron off the foot of the table.

Quinton said hard work in training had paid off and it was a performance that he was proud of.

The Iron boss said: “I’m over the moon for the boys.

“It had been tough with how we’d lost games (before) as we hadn’t been beaten convincingly and we’d been unlucky.

“When you’re down there you don’t seem to get the luck, but fair play to the guys.

“We all travelled up on the day of the game and it was a long journey with a lot of traffic, but how they conducted themselves on the pitch was superb.

“We were strong and it showed how much the three points meant.

“When the balls came in, they put their heads in where they needed to be and we looked solid; I was proud of them.

“We have been working hard on being organised and more focused on the game in front of us.

“I wanted us to be horrible to beat.

“I want us to play and pass the ball at every opportunity through the lines but when we need to defend, we get in groups of two banks so no-one goes through you.

“It’s horrible at times but as the game went on, the confidence came out and we did very well.”

The journey from Braintree to Gateshead was a 550-mile round trip for Quinton, his players, club staff and the 24 Iron fans who headed north to see their team win.

With the players leaving Essex at 5am to make it to the International Stadium in time, it proved a gruelling excursion for them all, but the Braintree boss was delighted that it had proved a worthwhile one.

“I was pleased with the boys,” he added.

“Not many are going to go to Gateshead and put in a performance like that.

“I think Gateshead were running out of ideas at the end as the boys dealt with everything that was thrown at them.

“It shows that they are listening and all the hard work that we’ve done is paying off and I’m pleased for them.

“I was pleased for the fans as well.

“It was good of them to go all that way; they know what we have been through.

“We have been unlucky and have been getting beaten a few times, but you have to be positive.”