DERNELL Wynter is glad that his hard work has been recognised by Braintree Town manager Brad Quinton and the Iron striker hopes his goal-scoring display against Bognor Regis Town can bring further places in the starting line-up.

The former Enfield Town striker admits that he has had to be patient to get his chance back in the Iron's side after his previous start came at Whitehawk at the end of August but scoring a stunning goal after just 20 seconds of the game against Bognor was the perfect way to announce his return.

It is a return that Quinton said came as a reward for hard work in training and Wynter hopes to kick on now as Braintree prepare to head to Poole Town on Saturday for their next Vanarama National League South action.

Wynter said: "I have been biding my time for a little while and I was grateful to get my opportunity, but getting the goal was great and testament to the hard work I've been putting in.

"I have been working hard and listening to the Gaffer (Quinton) with the things that he wants me to improve on.

"Luckily I have been doing that and it has worked out."

Quinton added: "Dernell has been training so well lately.

"He can hit a ball with right foot or left, with power and pace and curl and what he is learning now is to use his body well.

"He is not the biggest centre forward, like Marcel (Barrington) or Phil (Roberts), but he is not afraid of anything.

"He has an eye for goal and he is learning.

"He is probably the youngest out of all my strikers and I've been so pleased with him.

"He has been training really well and I felt he was ready.

"So it's pleasing that he proved me right and he did really well.

"As a manager you are pleased when a player comes in and takes their chance.

"To get that eye of the tiger in them is a key thing.

"I know how I felt with having that tenaciousness and the feeling that 'I want to show you'.

"I had that as a player and I like to see that."

Braintree's 3-0 win against Bognor placed the Iron back at the summit of the Vanarama National League South table as they went joint top with Dartford and Wynter recognised the importance of bouncing back from the disappointment of losing to Havant and Waterlooville in their previous outing.

He said: "We did really well after not having a good result in the last game, so we were pleased to bounce back and get ourselves back at the top of the table.

"It's all we can hope for and we just have to keep working hard.

"We graft in training on Tuesdays and Thursdays but it pays off as it showed against Bognor.

"I was very happy that it worked out the way it did and we could kick on after I got the early goal.

"The boys worked really well.

"There was no dip in confidence after the last game as all of us are confident players.

"It's not good to have knock backs, but they happen to every team and you just have to keep working hard.

"We have responded well when they have happened, but that's because of how we train.

"We believe in the Gaffer and all his decisions so we keep working hard and that's all we do.

"It's working for us now.

"See us in the changing room and we are all buzzing; we are a very close group and we can't ask for more than we have got now.

"We just have to keep going.

"The games are getting harder and tougher but we just have to keep working hard."