WHILE eight goals from Braintree Town's last two games has caught the eye it is an equally impressive statistic at the other end of the pitch that has been just as pleasing for Iron goalkeeper Michael Johnson.

Braintree head into Bank Holiday weekend double header - at Dartford on Saturday and then against Dorking Wanderers at Cressing Road on Monday - on the back of a 3-0 win at St Albans and a 5-0 hammering of Eastbourne Borough in Vanarama National League South.

Those results have seen the Iron's forwards firing, but have also shown a resilience at the back in keeping back-to-back clean sheets and that has been very welcome for Johnson and the defensive unit just in front of him.

The 25-year-old Braintree keeper joined this summer after a successful spell at Hitchin Town and is pleased to see how the team have been developing defensively in their opening five games.

He said: “It’s very pleasing because we know that things aren’t going to all come straight away for us here.

“There are a lot of new players who have come together on the pitch, but I think you can see from the last two games that we are building something.

“The unit is there as a squad and we have a great team spirit, similar to what I saw when I was at Hitchin when we made it into the play-off final.

“We didn’t necessarily have the strongest players in the league individually, but we were strong as a team and that can carry you a long way through a season.

“It’s the type of thing that can give you an extra ten to 15 points and five to ten extra clean sheets than you may have with a team of individuals.

“It’s something that is definitely coming together.

“Five goals against Eastbourne was more than deserved as I felt we controlled the game from start to finish.

“There were maybe five minutes in the second half where we were a bit sloppy and they were on top, but it’s definitely coming together.

“A common theme through pre-season was that we changed the look of the back four a lot.

“Even from the last pre-season game into the first one of the season, we had new defenders coming in with Clarky (Michael Clark) and Josh (Urquhart).

“They’d never played together before so we had to keep building as we had through pre-season, but the one thing I would say is that, as a back five, as all get along really well.

“That’s really nice.

“It’s not just professionally on the pitch, we’re good mates off it and that goes such a long way.

“We get each other; we are on a similar wavelength.

“You expect to have periods of pressure in games when a team will be on top against you and you have to defend, but that’s what we did well when Eastbourne came at us."

The momentum from back-to-back wins will be a boost to Braintree's newly-formed side, however, Johnson isn't getting carried away as he appreciates they are only at the start of a long journey together.

He added: “It’s great but please do keep a bit of caution because we are a new team and only five games into the season.

“It’s obviously better than losing and clean sheets are great - long may it continue.

“But we are still a work in progress.

“We will get better and that’s the thing as there is so much more to come from this team.

“There are so many areas to pinpoint in Saturday’s game where things could have been even better.

“We’re not getting carried away.

“It was great to win 5-0 but we have to keep the motivation to get better and be even better, but with Glen (Driver) and Tony (Kinsella) in charge, I know that’s what we will do.

“They’ll keep us working hard and we’ll go to Dartford looking for another clean sheet and three points."