BRAINTREE TOWN 0

MAIDSTONE UNITED 1

Vanarama National League

In a game between the Vanarama National League’s two lowest scoring sides, a goalless stalemate was probably to be expected – that was until the 95th minute when a penalty left Braintree Town heartbroken at the end.

Braintree had scored just seven goals heading into their game against Maidstone United, who had eight to their name, and that was how it remained after 90 minutes at Cressing Road.

Five minutes later, though, it was the Stones who had changed their statistic with a late penalty that proved hard to take for the Iron and their fans.

The Stones come into the game on the back of some awful form, having lost their last six games and without a goal in any of their previous four outings.

They had had a change at the top with a managerial change as former Billericay Town boss Harry Wheeler had taken charge eight days earlier following the departure of Jay Saunders and the new man made four changes to his side from their previous game – a 2-0 loss against Harrogate.

Braintree, meanwhile, came into the game on the back of a win – their first of the campaign – the week before – at Gateshead and stuck with the same line-up that had begun that previous fixture.

The confidence they took from that opening victory was evident in the first part of the game.

They passed the ball crisply and with purpose that augured well for the game ahead and although they didn’t really threaten Lee Worgan’s goal, it was encouraging for the home fans.

One such example came on eight minutes when a lovely lay-off from Billy Crook to Mo Bettamer gave the Iron striker a chance to go for goal from outside the area.

He hit the ball over the bar, but it showed the confidence as Crook may well not have attempted his cheeky back heel to Bettamer a couple of weeks earlier and the eventual shot probably wouldn’t have come in from outside the box.

Maidstone did show some threat and an 11th minute free-kick by Blair Turgott was fired into the arms of Ben Killip in the Iron goal, but apart from that, the home keeper wasn’t unduly troubled.

At the other end, though, the Iron’s confidence and adventure grew.

Jon Muleba offered a threat down the Iron’s right as he got forward from full-back and one teasing cross just eluded an Iron head, before another caused even more cause for concern for the visitors.

On 17 minutes, Muleba floated the ball in where it was met by the head of Reece Grant, who rose beautifully above the Maidstone defence but the ball looped just over the crossbar

That was followed two minutes late by a corner for Iron and it was worked well with a move off the training ground.

Joe Ellul blocked off his man and create the space for Ricky Gabriel to thunder in a header that flew straight into Worgan's arms.

Either side of the Stones keeper and it was 1-0 but it wasn't as the game stayed locked goalless.

Maidstone almost disrupted the status quo on 25 minutes when Jack Paxman broke out of defence and the move was finished with an effort by Turgott that Killip did well to keep out at his near post.

It was a scare for the hosts after all their good play and the latter part of the opening half became attritional with neither side really able to get on top.

That meant it stayed goalless at the break and it was equally cagey at the start of the second half although a wonderful through ball by Cameron James split the Stones’ defence open on 53 minutes.

Reece Grant managed to get on to the end of it and slid in with a shot, but Worgan had come out bravely and made the block to deny the Iron man.

With most of the play being directed towards the Stones’ goal, the visitors’ greatest threat was hitting the Iron on the break and they almost caught the Iron with a good move on 64 minutes.

Turgott played in Michael Phillips but the Maidstone striker fluffed his lines and fired high over the bar.

Most of the action was heading the other way and a minute later a wonderful low dipping effort by Bettamer from 35 yards was only kept out by Worgan at full stretch.

With neither side able to engineer a breakthrough, the game became scrappy and the action was punctuated by frequent blows on the whistle by referee John Smith.

One decision the Iron felt didn't go their way, though, was when Grant went over in the box, but no penalty call was forthcoming.

Instead, it looked as though the game would play out to a 0-0 stalemate, but Smith had added four minutes at the end and it was the visitors who made best use of that.

With 95 minutes on the clock, Turgott was caught in the area and Smith pointed to the spot this time.

Turgott stepped forward and finished the job to leave the visitors in rapture and the hosts’ heads in their hands as they saw a valuable point slip through their fingers while one of their rivals picked up a precious haul of three.

Braintree Town: Ben Killip, Cameron James, Dave Nieskens, Jonathan Muleba, Joe Ellul, Ricky Gabriel, Billy Crook, Justin Amaluzor , Mohamed Bettamer, Mo Sagaf (Luke Allen 84), Reece Grant (Lyle Della-Verde 80).

Substitutes not used: Christie Pattison, Michael Clark, Daniel Rowe.

Referee: John Smith.