I try so hard to be positive when writing about the non-league sides that I cover for a variety of papers and that includes Braintree Town.

It's just the type of person that I am when it comes to sport - whatever sport that may be.

Right up until the point when mathematics say otherwise, I always want to think a side I'm rooting for will get themselves out of trouble when they encounter a sticky situation.

When England's cricketers are seven down with 250 still needed to avoid a big Test match defeat, there's always a voice in my head that says "if these two can get centuries then we'll be in with a chance here".

Blind optimism or just stupidity - I don't know, but it's the way I've always been and I won't change.

However, Braintree Town are testing that right at the moment.

I said earlier this week that I thought their Boxing Day trip to Ebbsfleet was possibly their most important of the season.

Sat rock bottom of the Vanarama National League at Christmas and eight points from safety, they were clearly desperate for a productive festive run.

The Iron impressed me in the draw with Boreham Wood last weekend and I felt that gave the perfect platform to start a run on and was willing them to kick on when they headed to Kent.

So, along with everyone else I'm sure, the frustration of seeing the hosts go ahead after less than two minutes was tough to take.

It set the tone for the game ahead.

Hakan Hayrettin rightly pointed out defensive shortcomings at the end and all three of the first-half goals should have been avoided.

The early one was as soft a goal as you'll see at this level and Ebbsfleet fans would have been surprised as I'm sure they'd have thought all their festive gifts had been delivered the day before.

And the two that followed before the break were both from situations where players were given far too much time and space on the edge of the box.

That type of thing just has to be stopped if Braintree are to have even the remotest of hopes of surviving this year as they gave themselves a mountain that ultimately proved insurmountable and the chance to kick on from Boreham Wood was gone.

Once again, the positivity was chipped away.

But while Braintree are testing my resolve to be upbeat, I'm not going to change the habit of a lifetime just yet.

Some may be frustrated to read anything positive, but mathematics are still in the team's favour and I still believe the players can be good enough to survive.

I've had no hint from speaking with players so far that they feel anything less and you can always tell when a dressing room's belief has gone, so I see no reason to be negative looking forward.

For the rest of the season, the biggest game of the season is now going to be whatever is coming up next and that's Maidenhead on Saturday.

It brings the Iron up against their former boss Alan Devonshire again and there's no better time to kick-start an upturn in form.