Femi's red hot form fires Braintree to last-gasp victory

Vanarama National League South

In searing Bank Holiday temperatures, Femi Akinwande continued his red hot form for Braintree Town by scoring a last-gasp winner in a 3-2 victory against Dorking Wanderers.

It had looked as though a point apiece would be a fair return for both sides as they clashed on a roastingly hot Bank Holiday Monday at Cressing Road, but Akinwande had other ideas deep in time added-on at the death.

In a Vanarama National League South encounter played in energy-sapping temperatures, fortunes ebbed and flowed for both but there was little between the pair over 90 minutes as both enjoyed periods of dominance.

Braintree took the lead with a Jason Banton goal in the first half, but were pegged back and then overhauled as first Elliott Buchanan and then Tom Richards put Wanderers ahead.

However, a nicely-worked move from Braintree saw Tyler Christian-Law level on the hour mark to ensure Braintree’s efforts in the heat weren’t in vain.

And just as it looked like it would finish at two apiece, Akinwande was in the right place at the right time to fire in a wonderful winner with his fourth goal in as many games.

There were two changes to the Iron’s starting line-up from the 2-1 defeat at Dartford two days earlier.

They saw Josh Urquhart and Tyler Christian-Law in the side in place of Ollie Saunders and Sergio Manesio respectively.

In the punishingly high temperature, it was little surprise that there was a slow start to the game, with both sets of players looking to conserve energy in the sapping conditions.

It was Braintree who showed a threat first, though, with Josh Urquhart drilling a low effort just wide and Jason Banton then firing over the bar from an acute angle.

Dorking continued to play the ball around and their patience paid off as they began to find chinks in the Iron armour and really should have been leading by at least one as the game reached the quarter hour mark.

On 12 minutes, the visitors opened Iron up down the left before the ball was laid back to Elliott Buchanan in the six yard box.

The goal was at his mercy, but the Dorking forward opened his body too much and steered the ball across the face of goal and wide and it should have been 1-0 to Wanderers again three minutes later.

A cross in from the right this time was met cleanly by the head of Jason Prior just five yards out but keeper Michael Johnson stuck out a leg and made an amazing reflex save as it somehow stayed goalless.

The best chance for Braintree in the opening half hour came on 27 minutes after Ade Cole worked the ball forward and laid it off to Femi Akinwande.

The powerful striker took a touch and unleashed a fierce drive that was dipping under the Dorking crossbar, meaning keeper Ryan Sandford had to tip it over to safety.

Iron did take the lead on 36 minutes, though

They had to show composure in the box as Richardson and Akinwande tried to engineer shooting opportunities, before the ball was moved to Banton and he fired in from an acute angle to put Braintree ahead.

However, the lead lasted just five minutes as a cross from the right by Matt Briggs was glanced in by Buchanan to make sure it was level at half-time.

Braintree were almost trailing at the break, though, and were thankful to another superb save from Johnson on 44 minutes after Dorking tore the home defence open and Briggs fired in a low effort from the edge of the penalty area.

After the measured start to the half, it was a rather frantic finish and that continued after the restart as Wanderers took less than two minutes to take the lead.

It came after Michael Clark lost possession wide on the Braintree left and that allowed Dorking to break quickly as the ball was moved efficiently to Tom Richards on the left where he fired the ball past Johnson.

It was a setback for Iron, but they soon created chances to pull level.

Akinwande battled to win the ball on the left and pulled it back across the six yard box to where Richardson was waiting to slam it home, but he skewed his shot horribly and it went wide.

And there was then an opportunity when Cole pushed forward and laid the ball into the run of Banton, who saw his shot from a tight angle parried behind by Sandford.

Having gone close, Braintree did find the back of the net on 60 minutes and it was worth waiting for.

A long ball forward from Johnson was brilliantly carried on by Richardson, who played it in for Christian-Law to slide past Sandford for a well-worked equaliser.

The goal seemed to energise Iron and their fans, but the effects of the heat were starting to become apparent as play become increasingly stretched at both ends and errors crept in for both sides.

It meant the final half hour of the game was scrappy as neither side really got on top in the searing temperatures and it looked like both would have to be content with a point.

However, Akinwande thought otherwise.

Deep into time added on at the end, a long ball forward found the Iron striker, who showed great strength before breaking clear of a challenge and thundering a shot past Sandford.

It ignited rapturous scenes on the Cressing Road terraces and meant the Iron snatched all three points to make sure it was a wonderful finish on a glorious afternoon.

Braintree Town: Michael Johnson, Harry Osbourne, Josh Urquhart, Tyler Christian-Law (Sean Bonnett-Johnson 88), Jake Hutchings, Michael Clark, Ade Cole, Jason Banton (Charley Barker 79), Tom Richardson (Alfie Cerulli 79), Femi Akinwande, Adam Mills. Subs not used: Jayden Gipson, Rob Harvey.

Referee: Callum Walchester.