BRAINTREE Town slumped to their fifth successive defeat after losing 2-0 at Hungerford Town in National League South, writes DAVID WARD.

Unless the Iron can find somebody who can score goals and take advantage of the side's improving approach play they will continue to struggle down in the relegation area at this level.

Although it was a much-improved all-round performance they still clearly lack that cutting edge in front of the opposition goal.

Manager Ryan Maxwell made three changes from the previous defeat bringing back into the starting XI Ezra Ikbuasi and Nathan Cooper and giving a debut to new signing Myles Anderson.

The much-travelled midfielder/defender who was positioned just in front of the back four.

The Iron started the better of the two sides and were clearly in the ascendancy in the first 20 minutes with some fine build-ups but again lacked a cutting edge in front of goal.

They were then caught on the sucker punch on 26 minutes when much against the run of play, Sol Wanjau-Smith pinched the ball off Kyran Clements and did what the Iron forwards were lacking in quickly whipping the ball low into the net past the stranded Billy Johnson.

It stunned and deflated the Iron players and Hungerford doubled their lead on 36 minutes.

From an unnecessarily conceded free-kick, Jake Evans took and drove home a low across that evaded everyone slipping in the far corner of the net.

Despite this double blow to their credit the Iron reorganised and during an open end-to-end second half yet again came close to pulling a goal back on more than one occasion but there was simply no crucial finishing in the Crusaders' area.

With chances at both ends the Iron continued to push hard with Maxwell bringing on Gio Crichlow, Luke Pennell and Arjani Krasniqi to provide some fresh legs.

But hard as though they tried finding the net remained illusive and they ended up without any points from an encounter where they should have taken something, although the lack of direct power up front remains their biggest problem.

It all means this Saturday's trip to Welling is in effect a six-pointer and the Iron need to win to give themselves a chance of starting to move away from the relegation zone.