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Iron prevail in play-off six pointer Iron made the long, long journey down to Cornwall to visit Truro City on Saturday and came home with the three points from an entertaining 2-1 victory. Braintree took a seventh minute lead. Ben Wyatt firing home from a tight angle from the left of the home 18-yard box under Truro keeper Tom McHale. Dan Thompson could have doubled the Iron advantage before the home side levelled moments before the half hour. A header from a Connor Riley-Lowe corner hit the woodwork before Jamie Richards netted the rebound at the far post. Thompson did get his name on the scoresheet eighteen minutes into the second half. Charging down an attempted home clearance, the ball fell kindly and Dan steered the ball past the exposed McHale. Both sides had chances in the closing stages, but the well organised Iron defence held firm to secure the three points that moved them back into the promotion play off places. Braintree: McDonald, Muleba, Garbriel, Hill, Okoye, Wright, Allen (Barrington 88), Crook, Michael-Percil (Grant 65), Thompson (Frimpong 80), Wyatt. Un-used subs: Bettache, Curtis. Att: 521. Referee: Amy Fearn. Four goal Braintree set up six pointer on Saturday For the second successive game Iron snatched all three points with a winning goal in the 94th minute on Tuesday evening that keeps their play-off hopes alive whilst condemning their visitors to relegation. In a topsy-turvy game that could have gone either way it was the Iron who twice came from behind in a pulsating second half to claim victory which left manager Brad Quinton claiming: "I'm getting more grey hairs by each game but again what a fantastic performance by the players who simply never give up and battle for each other to that final whistle. "Yes, we have ground out a result again which was vitally important for our play-off hopes," he continued. "We scored first on 20 minutes with a great header from Mark Okoye but we then gave away two sloppy goals before the interval and I had strong words to say at half time. "We then get ourselves back in the game with an excellent header from Jon Muleba on 71 minutes but then our keeper Nathan (McDonald) makes a mistake to allow them back in the game," he explained. "But then young Reece Grant comes off the bench and scores two wonderful late headed goals to give us the win we wanted." He added: "I'm over the moon with the win but I wish my young players would stop messing about at times and stop giving away silly goals." The key to the Iron's victory were two second substitutions - Roman Michael-Percil coming on at the start of the second half and Grant replacing skipper Billy Crook just past the hour - because it was their pace and attacking threat that caused the visitors' rearguard real problems. In the first half the visitors after going a goal down had come back into the game with a controversial 26th minute penalty which Gold Omotayo converted to equalise and then on 36 minutes McDonald weakly parried a low shot that allowed Yannis Ambroisini to force the ball over the line. But Muleba's header gave the Iron fresh impetus in the second half as they peppered the visitors' goal with shots, two coming back of the crossbar while some desperate defending prevented the Iron from taking the lead. But it all looked to be going wrong for them on 79 minutes when for some inexplicable reason McDonald rushed out of his goal to kick the ball clear only to skew it straight to the feet of Nassim Ghoul who had the simple task of sliding the ball into the net with no Iron defender near him. Young Grant though came to the rescue to save his blushes on 81 minutes by heading home a right wing cross despite being squeezed in by two defenders and four minutes into the added stoppage time the youngster again managed to out jump the visiting defence to head home the winning goal. "Both Roman and Reece coming on made a great difference to our attack in the second half because they ran at their defenders and caused all kinds of problems," said Quinton. "They are both young and still learning the game but they both showed how capable they are and they are not put off by taking on big, experienced defenders. "It also about attitude and commitment and I think I had that from everyone of my players this evening," he added. Next up for the Iron is an away game at Truro City on Saturday, kick off 3pm and to prepare properly the team are travelling down on Friday and staying overnight before the game. Braintree Town: McDonald; Muleba, Gabriel, Hill,Okoye; Wright, Allen, Crook (62 Grant), Wyatt (94 Frimpong); Barrington (45 Michael-Percil), Thompson. Unused subs: Bettache, Curtis. Attendance 389. Referee: Paul Howard. "a sad outcome from events over which our Club and League have had no control" Braintree Town Football Club has been charged and found guilty by the National League of fielding a player in two successive National League South matches while under a Football Association suspension. The Club were first charged by The FA in February. The Club admitted the charge, were found guilty and fined. Subsequently, the Club were charged for the same offence by the National League. Again the Club admitted the charge, the National League had no option but to implement a deduction of the one point we obtained during the two games. The FA charge against both the Club and player Mark-Anthony Okoye resulted from the FA creating two sets of records for the same player on their Members Services System (MSS) in the name of, initially, Mark Okoye, and then, subsequently, Mark-Anthony Okoye. This resulted from the incorrect allocation by The FA of the name for the caution of Mark-Anthony Okoye, as just Mark Okoye, incurred by the player on 12 August 2017. Following a caution received by the player on 6 January, our Club Secretary Tom Woodley checked the entry on the FA's MSS thereafter and it did not state that any suspension was imposed. The first notification of a two match suspension was on 17 February, when the FA informed the Club that the player had played on the both 13 January (away v Chippenham Town, drew 1-1) and 20 January (home v Hemel Hempstead Town, lost 1-2) while under a suspension, although their MSS had not confirmed a suspension throughout January. Tom Woodley then saw that a two match suspension was confirmed on the FA's MSS from 17 February, but The FA's MSS was then retrospectively updated thereafter to include a two-match suspension from 6 January. The FA then charged the Club and player on 27 February with playing a player while under suspension. The Club reluctantly accepted the FA's charge, but submitted a statement of mitigation - including the above information. On 15 March the FA advised the Club that they had decided to fine the Club and player. An additional one match was also added by the FA to the previous two match suspension. The National League then charged the Club with the same offence on 21 March. The Club had no choice but to accept the charge. However, in mitigation, we asked that - as The FA had already charged and punished the Club - no further punishment be added to the fine and extended suspension imposed. Sadly, the National League seem to have had little option than to implement punishment as stated in their standard tariff, which requires the point secured from those two matches, to be deducted. Chairman Lee Harding was far from happy: "I think this is a sad outcome from events over which our Club and League have had no control. When any player approaches a suspension, their record is always checked with The FA by our Secretary - as was done in this case. The fact that The FA's records were not retrospectively updated until mid-February, to show that a suspension was due in January, gave the Club no chance to action the suspension on the due dates. "As ever, I believe Tom has acted with complete integrity, as he has done for over 35 years, and we have little option but to accept the punishment issued for what seems to me to be someone else's mistake. "The loss of the one point is tough to take, especially as the lads have worked so hard to get us back into play-off contention in recent weeks and, in particular, on Saturday! "Going forward, this can go one of two ways: we can sit and mope about our ill-fortune or dig in and work even harder to get the points we need from our last four games. I know what I'll be doing." Tues 17 April 2018 - Braintree T v Whitehawk Whitehawk are currently 21st in the National League South on 30 points. Their away record this season is: Played 18, Won 3, Lost 13, Drawn 2, Points 11. Goals For 22, Goals Against: 44. Last 4 away results: Lost 4-2 v Chelmsford C, Won 0-3 v St Albans C, Drew 1-1 v Bath C, Drew 1-1 v Hampton & RB. Whitehawk Top Scorers: Gold Omotayo - 9, Ky Marsh-Brown & Elliot Benyon - 8. Braintree T are currently in 8th in the National League South on 59 pts. Their home record this season is: Played 17, Won 9, Drawn 5, Lost 4, Points 32. Goals For 33, Goals Against 20. Braintree T last four home games: Drew 2-2 v Wealdstone, Won 1-0 v Poole T, Lost 0-2 v Bath C, Lost 1-2 v Hemel Hempstead T. Braintree Top Scorers: Billy Crook - 10 (7p), Luke Allen - 6, Marcel Barrington - 5. Billy Crook has completed his 3 match suspension and is available for selection. Last meeting: 26 August 2017 Whitehawk 1 Braintree T 1: On a very warm sunny afternoon on the South Downs, Braintree travelled to a pointless Whitehawk and left wondering how they didn't manage to attain all three points. Papa Gueye put the home side ahead in the 14th minute, heading home a free kick from the left. Despite constant Iron possession, it was almost an hour before the equaliser came, Luke Allen curling home direct from a free-kick. Late chances went begging as the Iron pressed for victory. A look at the Hawks website shows that they have used over 60 players this season in an attempt to stave off relegation. Since our postponed fixture one month ago, Whitehawk have continued their good form in 2018 winning three and drawing one of their last five matches. The only defeat coming down the road at Chelmsford C where Obamwonyi was sent off for the visitors. A defeat on Tuesday evening would see the Hawks relegated. After a frustrating Saturday afternoon at home to strugglers Concord, the Iron edged nearer the play-offs with a dramatic late winner from Luke Allen. With three of our four rivals also in action on Tuesday, the boys will need to work hard in their quest to break into the end of season play-off lottery. Luke Allen nets winner in time added on It took a dramatic winning goal in the 98th minute to give Iron three vital points to boost their play-off chances in a thrilling game that left Iron manager Brad Quinton physically and mentally drained. "It was certainly a roller-coaster ride that left me so tired and drained but totally elated - I'm so pleased for the boys and also the supporters to see us come back from the dead," he declared. "I've been involved with a few dramatic games in my time but nothing like this one." He went on: "It was an emotional end to the game and it proved my players never give in and have a tremendous commitment and character. "To come back from a goal so late on and then score twice is fantastic and keeps our play-off hopes alive," he said. "We had chances before they scored and we almost paid the price for wasting them but I felt we deserved it overall, particularly in the second half when we pinned them in their own half for so long." He added: "It shows that the players are up for the battle in these last few games to ensure we make the play-offs." A draw looked on the cards after Dan Thompson equalised for the home side on 87 minutes cancelling out young Adam Topley's fine 25-yard strike on 75 minutes that had given the visitors a surprise lead. But with the game deep in to stoppage time the home side forced a dramatic winner from close range thanks to a quick reaction from midfielder Luke Allen to drive the ball home through a crowded box and which sent the Iron fans celebrating wildly, while referee Will Finnie finally blew for full time straight from the restart. The first half had been fairly even with Iron having a couple of chances but both Thompson and Marcel Barrington each went close and, despite a patient build up by the home side, they were repeatedly being let down by that final ball into the visitors' penalty box. Concord could also have scored and only a fine save by Nathan McDonald 10 minutes before the interval prevented Steve Cawley, who beat the offside trap and was clear on goal, from breaking the deadlock. The second half, which from the start saw Roman Michael-Percil on for Jon Muleba and a changed formation for Braintree, was dominated by Iron who kept up constant pressure on the visiting rearguard. With chances going begging it was the visitors who snatched the initiative by taking the lead only for Thompson to slide the ball home for an equaliser, setting up the grand finale that saw Iron's persistence pay and gain that late, late winner. Braintree Town: McDonald; Muleba (45 Micheal-Percil), Gabriel, Hill, Okoye; Wright, Allen, Frimpong, Wyatt; Barrington, Thompson (77 Grant). Unused subs: Curtis, Bettache, Aldridge. Attendance: 446. Referee: Will Finnie. Next up for the Iron is a home game against Whitehawk on Tuesday, kick off 7 45pm at the IronmongeryDirect Stadium when manager Quinton will have midfielder Billy Crook back from his three match suspension.  BTFC join forces with Molson Coors Braintree Town Football Club are pleased to announce a new partnership with the Molson Coors Brewery. A football club with a heritage that starts in 1898 and a brewery who's story starts in 1774! Molson Coors have spent centuries defining brewing greatness. Coming to the Iron Clubhouse on Saturday will be: Coors Light - thanks to its Rocky Mountain heritage, uncompromising brewing standards and its dedication to ice cold refreshment, Coors Light is one of the fastest growing light beers around the world. Carling - has been Britain's bestselling lager for more than three decades. It is brewed to have the perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness ensuring it is as brilliantly refreshing from the first sip to the last. Staropramen - the quality of the beer is appreciated in more than 38 countries all over the world. Staropramen is going confidently towards future, following its own path to make a perfect beer by combining tradition, modern technologies and innovation. Doom Bar - is inspired by its namesake, the treacherous sandbank at the mouth of the Camel Estuary near Sharps' home at Rock. Accomplished and precise, Doom Bar is the epitomy of consistency, balance and moreish appeal and is now the UK's no.1 selling cask beer. Worthington's - over 250 years ago, a young man called William Worthington glimpsed the future and it was in Burton, England. But what Worthington was interested in was below the surface, a buried treasure that remains in Burton still - the water. This created the beginnings of a brewing dynasty. Guinness - our old favourite remains! It takes adventurous spirit and irrepressible ingenuity to do things the Guinness way. From our humble beginnings in 1759 to the present day, Guinness have gone to extraordinary lengths to bring you exceptional beer. Aspall Cyder - can trace their history back to village of Aspall, Suffolk in the early-18th century. Production was based on apple trees initially introduced for the use of the Chevalliers of Aspall Hall, the owners of the estate, from their native Jersey. We love our Iron Season Ticket holders! From 12.30 - 1.30pm on Saturday, all adult season ticket holders will be invited to take a FREE pint of their choice - just show your season ticket to bar staff who will cross through box 'Game C' on your ticket. NOT A SEASON TICKET HOLDER? No problem, from 12.30 - kick-off all our new beers will be available for JUST £2 a pint, until you drink us dry! AND WHILE YOU'RE DRINKING ... Live on the Clubhouse big screen will be BT Sport's coverage of Macclesfield Town v. Leyton Orient, kick-off 12.30pm. Sat 14 April 2018 v Braintree T v Concord R Concord R are currently 18th in the Vanarama National League South on 40 points. Their away record this season is: P 17 W 3 D 5 L 11GF 17 GA 31 Pts 14. Last 4 away results: Lost 2-0 v Truro C, Lost 1-0 v Chelmsford C, Lost 2-0 v Whitehawk, Won 1-2 v Chippenham T. Top scorers this season: Steve Cawley - 15 (3p), Khale De Costa - 7, Ben Greenhalgh - 5 (1p) Braintree Town are currently in place in 9th the Vanarama National League South on 57 points. Braintree's home record this season is: P 17 W 8 D 5 L 4 GF 31 GA 19 Pts 29. Braintree T last 4 home games: Drew 2-2 v Wealdstone, Won 1-0 v Poole T, Lost 0-2 v Bath C, Lost 1-2 v Hemel Hempstead T. Top Braintree Town Scorers: Billy Crook- 10 (7p), Marcel Barrington & Luke Allen - 6. Suspension news: Billy Crook serves the last of his 3 game ban. Last meeting: 12 September 2017 Concord R 0 Braintree T 1: On a wet night down by the Thames, Braintree continued their good start to the season with a narrow victory over their Essex rivals. An early 10th minute strike from Phil Roberts, latching on to a deflected Ricky Gabriel cross was enough to earn all three points. With Tyler Campbell terrorising the Beachboys defence with his pace and trickery, the Iron were unable to add to their tally before the break. A scrappy second half in worsening conditions saw little in the way of clear chances for either side. There were 4 former Iron players lining up against Braintree that evening, but only Harry Lee remains at the club. Matt Paine is back at Billericay T, Kyron Farrell at Cray W and Jordan Cox at Basildon U. A third double of the season last time out against Hungerford T was not enough to elevate Braintree back into the play-off pack. With this being one of four home games left to play out of five remaining fixtures, Brad will be looking for a maximum points haul to extend the season in to May. From Mauritius to Cressing Road DOB: 16/12/88 (29) Born: Enfield Club Role: Coach Q. What is your job? A. Programme Development Officer at WHU Q. What does that involve? A. I design syllabuses for 5-15 year olds across 8 Development Centres Q. Who do you support? A. Manchester U Q. Who has been/is your favourite player? A. Ryan Giggs Q. Who is your favourite band/singer? A. Jay Z Q. What is your favourite Film? A. Snatch Q. Which social media do you use? A. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram Q. What is your favourite meal? A. My Grandma's fried noodles Q. How did you get into football coaching? A. I set up a mini 5-a-side league in Mauritius on pitches that were half grass/half coral I got into grass root football, did my badges, went to Watford before ending up at West Ham. Q. Where would you like to progress to in the game? A. I'd like to be in management of a top 20 club Q. How did you meet Brad? A. I turned up at Enfield pre-season, 2 seasons ago Q. How does role fit in with your day job? A. A squeeze, I've been looking after West Ham 16-18 year olds, I deliver same coaching here Q. What is the most satisfying part of your role? A. Winning Q. What is the most frustrating part of your role? A. Contact time with players on the pitch Q. Who have you learned the most from in the game? A. Matthew Joseph at the FA, I met him on a course. He was playing devil's advocate. Q. If you could work for any manager, who would it be and why? A. Bobby Robson because of his man management and Alex Ferguson because of his mentality and philosophy Q. Who do you see progressing to a higher level in our squad? A. Diaz Wright Q. How difficult is it to coach at this level with the turnover of players? A. Moderate - gaffer has same approach. He's good at recruiting players who fit our style Q. Who is the best in training? A. Mark Okoye Q. Where will Braintree finish this season? A. We will win the play-offs Dan Thompson makes the difference It wasn't always pretty and it was a game that, overall, lacked quality and any finesse, but Iron revitalised their promotion play-off hopes with a single goal victory at Hungerford Town's Bulpit Lane on Saturday. "It's a win and three points and that's all that matters," said Iron manager Brad Quinton. "Even though it was a scrappy game I still think we fully deserved the victory. "The pitch was not the best and didn't help our style of football but full marks to the players they stuck to their individual jobs and we were successful on the day," said Quinton. "Crucially we are still in play-off contention and we simply keep taking it one game at a time and with rivals dropping points today it's a further incentive for us to finish as strong as we can." The only goal came in the 55th minute and it was a scrappy one like the game itself and credit was given to Dan Thompson for forcing the ball over the line in a goalmouth melee. It developed down the left wing where Luke Allen, back from suspension, lofted the over to the far post where Josh Hill headed it down back across the area giving Thompson a chance to stab the ball home. Home keeper Oliver Davies managed to only parry the ball and Thompson was able to hit the rebound home helped by a defender on the goal line. Once in front the Iron began to dominate the game and both Roman Michael-Percil and Luke Allen had great chances to increase their side's goal tally, but the bumpy playing surface denied them. The first half had been more even but few chances at either end although Thompson, Ben Wyatt and Mahrez Bettache all went close while at the other end the Iron had a lucky let off when Louie Soares drove a shot at the foot of an Iron post before the ball was scrambled clear. However, with Josh Hill outstanding in the Iron defence, they survived the scare and, in the second half, the longer the game went on, the stronger the Iron became and deservedly ran out winners on the day. "It's good to come away from home and get a crucial win particularly after throwing away the chance to win at St. Albans on Easter Monday where we should have collected all three points," Quinton added. Braintree Town: McDonald; Muleba, Hill, Okoyo, Gabriel; Wright, Allen, Wyatt (90 Curtis), Bettache; Thompson (60 Grant), Roman- Percil (80 Frimpong). unused subs: Barrington, Aldridge. Aattendance: 233. Next up for Iron is this coming Saturday when they at home to Concord Rangers, kick off 3pm. Sat 7 April 2018 - Hungerford T v Braintree T Hungerford T are currently 18th in the Vanarama National League South on 40 points. Their home record this season is: P 18 W 6 D 4 L 8 GF 25 GA 24 Pts 22. Last 4 home results: Won 4-0 v Poole T, Lost 1-4 v Welling, Won 3-1 v St Albans C, Drew 1-1 v Chelmsford C. Top scorers this season: Louis Soares - 11 (1p), Nicolas Bignall - 9, Stefan Brown - 8 (1p) Braintree Town are currently in place in 9th the Vanarama National League South on 54 points. Braintree's away record this season is: P 19 W 6 D 7 L 6 GF 26 GA 28 Pts 25. Braintree T last 4 away games: Lost 2-1 v St Albans C, Won 1-2 v Weston-Super-Mare, Drew 1-1 v Hampton & Richmond B, Lost 2-1 v Bognor Regis T. Top Braintree Town Scorers: Billy Crook - 10 (7p), Marcel Barrington & Luke Allen - 6. Suspension news: Luke Allen is available after his ban. Last meeting: 23 September 2017 Braintree T 5 Hungerford T 0: The Iron's best performance of the season saw them take apart the visitors from Berkshire, but it was thanks to early saves from Nathan McDonald that prevented it from being a different story. Hungerford were in control when Braintree took the lead on 31 minutes, through a storming Roman Michael-Percil shot from outside the box into the top corner. Shortly after that opener Roman had his second beating two men before finding the net. Shortly before half time, Phil Roberts scored with an exquisite lob from Billy Crook's free kick. In the second half Roberts got a second putting away John Muleba's pass before Ben Wyatt completed the scoring with 4 minutes to go, following up on the goalkeeper's parry from Wynter. Braintree returned pointless from their Easter holiday games, one game not being completed due to heavy rain, whilst losing a one goal lead to St Albans in the other. With six games to go, the Iron only have two away games so will be looking to set up a race to the play-offs starting with this intriguing away trip. Stand up as long as you can! DOB: 23/3/89 (29) Born: Chelmsford Football career: Ipswich T (Academy), West Ham U, Charlton A, Crystal P, Woking, Thurrock, Margate, Braintree T Club role: Goalkeeping Coach Q. What is your job? A. I own a IT Recruitment Company and also have a Goalkeeping Coaching Academy Goalkeeping coaching academy Q. Who do you support? A. Tottenham H Q. Who has been/is your favourite player? A. Peter Schmeichel Q. Who is your favourite band/singer? A. Phil Collins Q. What is your favourite TV programme? A. A League of Their Own Q. What social media do you use? A. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram Q. Who do you regularly tweet with? A. Jack Collison, my best mate from my West Ham days Q. Who coached you at West Ham? A. Ludo Miklosko Q. Who did you play with at West Ham? A. Jack Collinson, James Tomkins, Junior Stanislas, Freddie Sears Q. Who was the best goalkeeper you were understudy to? A. Rob Green Q. How difficult is it to be understudy? A. Not that difficult if you have a good group around you. You have a Ògoalkeepers unionÓ and look out for each other, but it can also be frustrating Q. Who should be England's number one at the World Cup? A. Jordan Pickford Q. What makes a good goalkeeper? A. Presence, agility, concentration Q. Who has been the best goalkeeper you've seen in the VNLS this season? A. Nathan McDonald and the lad on loan from Reading, Luke Southwood at Bath C Q. What is the best save you've seen? A. David Seaman for Arsenal against Sheffield Uin the 2003 FA Cup Semi Finalwhere he scooped a goal bound effort from behind him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTBkWRs7r-c Q. What are the strengths of our goalkeeper? A. Shot stopping, distribution Q. How did you come to be at Braintree as coach? A. I was involved with the reserves, knew the guys having been here and played with Nathan Q. What advice do you give for facing penalties? A. Guess! Stand up as long as you can and try and visualise the players run as to which side he may go Q. Who is the biggest moaner at training? A. Ricky Gabriel Q. Where will Braintree finish this season? A. Play offs Abandoned match re-arranged Our Vanarama National League South match at home to Oxford City, abandoned because of a waterlogged pitch, has been re-arranged for Tuesday 24th April with kick-off at 7.45pm. Spectators with their ticket from the original match will be allowed free access to the match. Iron see early lead slip away Iron's chances of making the end of season play-offs are slow ebbing away after this defeat at Clarence Park on Easter Monday in a game with three points dropped against one of their main promotion rivals. Iron dominated the first half, missed several goal scoring chances and only defender John Hill's curling shot into the top far corner of the net after only 90 seconds gave them a slender one goal lead at the interval. As so often this season the Iron were to pay for these wasted chances in the second half when the home side rallied, Iron players began to sit deeper inviting them forward while the closing down and chasing back from Iron players in the first half was sadly missing. They paid the price on 59 minutes when the home side equalised with clearly a move worked out before on the training pitch. A low, right wing corner from David Noble to the edge of the Iron area saw Paul Merson run in unchallenged to fired the ball into the net past keeper Nathan McDonald. With renewed confidence the home push forward and with the previously solid Iron back line looking uncomfortable and static they had a lucky escape on 69 minutes when James Sendles-White saw his low shot come off the post with the defence all at sea. The inevitable home side winner came though on 85 minutes with another well worked piece that again saw Merson race into the Iron box again unmarked to slide the ball home from close range past McDonald. Long before the home side scored their winner the Iron needed some fresh legs on in the second half as some players began to look jaded but the two substitutions were made too late to have any positive effects on their chances of snatching at least an equaliser. In fairness Iron had their chances early on in the first half they dominated and twice Roman Michael-Percil and then both Dan Thompson and Ben Wyatt all saw their opportunities to add to their side's solitary goal go begging. Even after going a goal down Iron again had two decent chances to take the lead again but home keeper Dean Snedker pulled off fine saves from Diaz Wright and Marcel Barrington. In the dying moment Iron pushed hard for an equaliser but they never really threatened the home defence and with three more points lost and a genuine play-off place now looking remote. Manager Brad Quinton said: "Yes, I am disappointed because we did so well in the first half, got an important early goal, created chances and really controlled the game. "I had warned the players about the home side's set pieces but it failed to register and we were caught cold twice with the two they created," he said. "The second half we lost our momentum, stopped tracking back and defensive wise we were not as solid as in the first half." Quinton, with a threadbare squad because of suspensions and having to name to young reserve players on the bench, went on: "We will still keep working hard and keep our commitment and determination going to try and make the play-offs. It's still possible but we need to now gain maximum points in our remaining games and hope others drop points on the way." Braintree Town: McDonald; Muleba, Gabriel, Hill, Okoye; Wyatt, Michael-Percil, (Bettache 77), Frimpong (Grant 87), Diaz; Thompson, Barrington. Unusedd subs: Curtis, Stanisall, Cleal. Attendance: 812. Referee: Robert Massey-Ellis Next up for the Iron is an away match at Hungerford Town on Saturday. Mon 2 April 2018 - St Albans v Braintree T St Albans C are currently 4thin the Vanarama National League South on 59 points. Their home record this season is: P 18 W 10 D 4 L 4 GF 37 GA 21 Pts 34. Last 4 home results: Won 2-1 v Poole T, Lost 0-1 v Truro C, Won 2-0 v Chippenham T, Won 4-0 v Dartford. Top scorers this season: Sam Merson - 19, Rhys Murrell-Williamson - 15, Zane Banton -12 Braintree Town are currently in place in 8th the Vanarama National League South on 54 points. Braintree's away record this season is: P 18 W 6 D 7 L 5 GF 26 GA 27 Pts 25. Braintree T last 4 away games: Won 1-2 v Weston-Super-Mare, Drew 1-1 v Hampton & Richmond B, Lost 2-1 v Bognor Regis T, Drew 0-0 v Havant & Waterlooville. Top Braintree Town Scorers: Billy Crook - 10 (7p), Marcel Barrington & Luke Allen - 6. Last meeting: 31 August 2017 Braintree T 1 St Albans C 0: In the seventh and final game of a hectic opening month of fixtures, Braintree faced a Saints team that had won all six of their opening matches. The home team put in a top notch performance as they took the game to the previously unbeaten opposition. Despite creating chances in the opening half, the best of which saw Tyler Campbell go on a solo dribble from the halfway line before hitting a shot that came back off the bar. The winning goal came just past the hour when skipper Mark Okoye headed home from a Ben Wyatt corner. More chances followed for the Iron but were either off target and thwarted by the Saints Ôkeeper. Former Iron man Dernell Wynter joined the Saints earlier in the season and has so far made 3 appearances and scored 3 goals. The club also announced this week plans for a new 6000 capacity stadium. Leading goalscorer Sam Merson is the son of former Arsenal and Villa legend Paul Merson. Despite best efforts to get the pitch fit for Friday, the weather persisted and play was abandoned after half an hours play. The lads will also have benefitted from an extra 24 hours rest with Saints playing on Saturday. I expect a good Bank Holiday gathering to see another close encounter between two play-off hopefuls. Ticket and new game arrangements Our Good Friday match at home to Oxford City was abandoned in the 31st minute by referee Ian Fissenden due to a waterlogged pitch. Tickets purchased for the game will be valid for the match when it is re-arranged in due course. If you are unable to attend the fixture on the re-arranged date then ticket holders will be entitled to a full refund. To claim a ticket refund, ticket holders should return their ticket and name by (we recommend) RECORDED DELIVERY POST, together with a stamped addressed envelope to: Ticket Office, Braintree Town FC, IronmongeryDirect Stadium, Off Clockhouse Way, Braintree, Essex CM7 3DE The Club will then issue a full repayment by cheque. Fri 30 March 2018 - Braintree T v Oxford C Oxford C are currently 16th in the Vanarama National League South on 41 points. Their away record this season is: P 17 W 6 D 2 L 9 GF 23 GA 32 Pts 20. Last 4 away results: Won 1-3 v Welling, Won 2-3 v Truro C, Lost 2-1 v Concord R, Lost 4-1 v East Thurrock U. Top scorers this season: Matt Patterson - 19(5p), Rob Sinclair - 6, Sam Nombe & Reece Fleet - 5 Braintree Town are currently in place in 8th the Vanarama National League South on 54 points. Braintree's home record this season is: P 17 W 8 D 5 L 4 GF 31 GA 19 Pts 29. Braintree T last 4 home games: Drew 2-2 v Wealdstone, Won 1-0 v Poole T, Lost 0-2 v Bath C, Lost 1-2 v Hemel Hempstead T. Top Braintree Town Scorers: Billy Crook- 10 (7p), Marcel Barrington & Luke Allen - 6. Suspension news: Luke Allen and Billy Crook are still available with their bans starting on 31 March. Last meeting: 2 September 2017 Oxford C 1 Braintree T 2 - City made a bright start on their artificial pitch and could have scored twice before leading marksman Patterson rounded McDonald and stroked home a low shot after just 7 minutes. McDonald made another good save with is foot to keep the score at one-nil. Shortly before half time, the Iron were level after Roberts was brought down in the box and Crook tucked the penalty away to the keeper's right. Both sides created chances to go ahead, but on 75 minutes it was Phil Roberts who received a good pass from Luke Allen, cut inside his marker and placed a low shot just inside the near post. Oxford City enjoyed a good FA Cup run this season, dispatching our near neighbours Colchester U in the 1st Round, before succumbing in 3-2 in extra time at Notts County in Round 2. Their squad includes Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain, the younger brother of Liverpool's Alex. The Iron will be buoyed by their comeback win at Weston on Tuesday and look to force their way back in to the play-off places against an inconsistent opponent, who have won their last two trips on the road. Brad subs set up win Iron manager Brad Quinton pulled off a master stroke double second half substitution to ensure his side came back from being behind to win with two late goals at Woodspring Stadium on Tuesday evening. Luke Allen came on in the 62nd minute and Ben Wyatt ten minutes later and these two pair of fresh legs gave the Iron new impetus and it paid off with Allen firing home from the edge of the area on 82 minutes and Wyatt seeing his shot four minutes later ricochet off a defender and sail into the top corner of the home net. "I am absolutely delighted at the character and attitude of all the players in sticking to their jobs even when we went behind and then to come back and win," said Quinton. "We had to dig in deep but we kept playing our forward attacking game while defending well and I think the substitutions worked well as some players were getting tired. "I am pleased with the result and I think overall we fully deserved all three points," he said. "It's a long journey for us all in midweek but I think the spirit in the team showed through." The Iron could have been ahead right on half time when a finely worked moved down the right saw Roman Michael-Percil through in the area with just keeper Luke Purnell to beat but he blasted the ball over the bar. Six minutes into the second half and the same player had an even better chance to score when a poor Purnell clearance saw the ball fall to his feet but again he fired over from close range with the goal at his mercy. The Iron almost paid for these misses as on 63 minutes home striker Gethyn Hill was given too much room cutting in from a right wing throw-in near the corner flag and he fired home a low shot past Iron keeper Nathan McDonald. The first half had been fairly even with both Marcel Barrington and Dan Thompson going lose while at the other a fine save with his legs by McDonald and a goal line clearance by Ricky Gabriel. The Iron almost scored a deserved third goal on 89 minutes but Barrington's fierce 20 yard drive was saved by Purnell while the Iron, now totally in control, played the added five minutes of stoppage time without any undue worries. "They are a good side but I was disappointed when we lost 1-0 at home earlier when we should have won so this latest victory is all the more sweet," added Quinton. Braintree Town: McDonald; Muleba, Gabriel, Hill (72 Wyatt), Frimpong; Daiz (62 Allen), Crook, Okoye, Michael-Percil; Thompson (51 Grant), Barrington. unused subs: Bettache, Baxter. Referee: Alex Blake. Attendance: 424. Beavers level after Barrington puts Braintree ahead Braintree Town made the relatively short journey around the M25 to visit title-chasing Hampton & Richmond Borough and came home with a share of the spoils following a 1-1 draw. Iron had the better of the opening half hour, with both Dan Thompson and Ben Wyatt testing the Hampton keeper. The home custodian then had to be at his best to palm away a blistering effort from Marcel Barrington, but were reduced to ten men after 29 minutes when Billy Crook was dismissed for a high challenge on home left back Josh Casey. But Iron kept on coming and, just before the break, a low cross from Barrington found Thompson unmarked at the far post, but the Iron forward could not stretch far enough to steer the ball into an unguarded goal. Brad Quinton reorganised at the interval and switched to an attacking 4-3-2 formation and were good value for their opener with thirteen minutes remaining. Luke Allen broke from deep. He released Thompson on the left who looked up before sweeping the ball across the Hampton penalty area for the unmarked Barrington, who took a touch before steering the ball past the home keeper but inside the far left upright. Iron were pegged back four minutes later when a cross from the left was sliced by Jon Muleba. Nathan McDonald reacted to deny a possible own-goal, but the ball fell kindly to Hampton substitute Ben Wynter who crashed the ball into the roof of the net. In time added on Luke Allen was dismissed for a second caution, but Iron were good value for their point. Braintree Town: McDonald, Muleba, Gabriel, Hill, Frimpong, Wright, Allen, Crook, Barrington (Bettache 88), Thompson (Grant 78), Wyatt. Subs not used: Baxter, Michael-Percil, Curtis. Referee: Jack Packman. Crowd: 874. Next up for Iron is a trip to visit Weston-super-Mare this coming Tuesday evening, 27th March, with kick-off at 7.45pm. Sat 24 March 2018 - Hampton & Richmond B v Braintree T Hampton & RB are currently 3rd in the Vanarama National League South on 62 points. Their home record this season is: P 17 W 9 D 7 L 1 GF 26 GA 12 Pts 34. Last 4 home results: Won 3-1 v Hungerford T, Won 3-1 v Weston-Super-Mare, Won 1-0 v Bognor Regis T, Drew 1-1 v Whitehawk. Top scorers this season: Max Kretzschmar - 17 (5p), Bradley Hudson-Osei - 8(1p), Charlie Wassmer - 6 Braintree Town are currently in place in 9th the Vanarama National League South on 50 points. Braintree's away record this season is: P 16 W 5 D 6 L 5 GF 26 GA 27 Pts 21. Braintree T last 4 away games: Lost 2-1 v Bognor Regis T, Drew 0-0 v Havant & Waterlooville, Lost 3-0 v Welling, Drew 1-1 v Chippenham T. Top Braintree Town Scorers: Billy Crook- 10 (7p), Marcel Barrington & Luke Allen - 5. Suspension news: Mark Okoye misses out completing his ban. Last meeting: 19 August 2017 Braintree T 2 Hampton & RB 1: In an evenly contested first half, Luke Allen scored just before the half time whistle putting away a low cross from 12 yards. The second half was eight minutes old when Allen was brought down as he burst on to a through ball inside the area, Billy Crook sending the keeper the wrong way from the penalty spot. On 65 minutes Jack Cook was sent off for the visitors for hauling downDernell Wynter just outside the penalty box, which would have left the Iron man with a one on one with the keeper. Despite Braintree creating more chances to score, it was the visitors who scored in injury time when Wassmer scored with a looping header. Former Iron player James Mulley joined H&RB in February and they list Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler as coach. Hampton have been on an impressive run since losing three games in the opening month of the season. Their only defeat since then was on 3 February at Bath City where they went down two-nil. They are also the League draw specialists with 14 so far this season. With only one defeat on their own patch, it will be a tough ask for Brad and the boys to return to Essex with all three points. Promotion and consistency DOB: 25/11/93 (24) Born: Wandsworth, London Previous Clubs: Hampton & Richmond B, Portsmouth, Havant & Waterlooville (L), Dorchester T (L), Bognor Regis T (L & Perm), Hayes & Yeading U, Farnborough, Redhill, Walton & Hersham, Bedford Sports, Chipstead, Burgess Hill Town, Tonbridge Angels Position: Striker Q. What is your job? A. P E Teacher Q. Who do you support? A. Liverpool Q. Who has been/is your favourite player? A. Fernando Torres Q. Who is your favourite band/singer? A. August Q. Which social media do you use? A. Twitter Q. How come you have had so many clubs? A. Not worked out at some of the clubs, I was second choice and moved to get regular football Q. What are your strengths/weaknesses? A. Strengths - Target man, holding up play, bringing people in to play, heading. Weakness - Being consistent Q. Who has given you the best guidance so far in your career? A. Jamie Howell who was Bognor Regis manager Q. Portsmouth released you in 2013, what were your thoughts at the time? A. My agent said there had been offers for me, but they all fell through, I just wanted to get back in to first team football Q. Which other forwards did Pompey have at the time? A. Dave Kitson, Kanu and Benjani Q. Who has been the best coach you've worked with? A. Guy Whittingham at Portsmouth Q. How did you end up coming to Braintree? A. I spoke to Matt, he put me in touch with the gaffer who invited me along to training Q. What do you hope to achieve at Braintree? A. Promotion, consistency in my performances, goals, fitness Q. You scored on your debut, have you got a goal target in mind? A. I'd be happy with 6 or 7 Q. What boots do you wear? A. Nike Hyper Venom Q. Have the lads played any pranks on you, if so what were they? A. No, they're a good set of lads Q. Who has been the toughest opponent you've come up against? A. Hermann Hreidarsson and Ben Haim at Portsmouth Q. Which player is the most vocal in the dressing room? A. Mark Okoye & Billy Crook Q. Who is the best finisher in training? A. Me and Marcel Q. Where do you think Braintree will finish this season? A. Comfortably in the play-offs. Match switched to mid-April Our Vanarama National League South fixture at home to Whitehawk, originally scheduled for last Saturday but postponed because of the unsafe pitch, will now be played on Tuesday 17th April, with kick-off at 7.45pm. Pitch deemed to be unsafe Following a pitch inspection at 10am this morning, the IronmongeryDirect pitch was declared to be unsafe and today's match has been postponed. More news on a new date for the game as soon as we have it. Sat 17 March 2018 - Braintree T v Whitehawk Whitehawk are currently 22nd in the National League South on 20 points. Their away record this season is: Played 16, Won 2, Lost 12, Drawn 2, Points 8. Goals For 17, Goals Against: 40. Last 4 away results: Drew 1-1 v Bath C, Drew 1-1 v Hampton & RB, Lost 3-1 v Dartford, Won 0-1 v Oxford C. Whitehawk Top Scorers: Ky Marsh-Brown - 8, Gold Omotayo - 7, Elliot Benyon - 6. Braintree T are currently in 7th in the National League South on 50 pts. Their home record this season is: Played 17, Won 8, Drawn 5, Lost 4, Points 29. Goals For 31, Goals Against 19. Braintree T last four home games: Drew 2-2 v Wealdstone, Won 1-0 v Poole T, Lost 0-2 v Bath C, Lost 1-2 v Hemel Hempstead T. Braintree Top Scorers: Billy Crook - 10 (7p), Marcel Barrington & Luke Allen - 5. Mark Okoye has one match of his three match suspension remaining. Last meeting: 26 August 2017 Whitehawk 1 Braintree T 1: On a very warm sunny afternoon on the South Downs, Braintree travelled to a pointless Whitehawk and left wondering how they didn't manage to attain all three points. Papa Gueye put the home side ahead in the 14th minute, heading home a free kick from the left. Despite constant Iron possession, it was almost an hour before the equaliser came, Luke Allen curling home direct from a free-kick. Late chances went begging as the Iron pressed for victory. A look at the Hawks website shows that they have used a staggering 63 players this season in an attempt to stave off relegation. Former Iron defender Osa Obamwonyi joining the cause in December 2017. In their 10 games since the start of 2018, they have lost only two, last time out against Chippenham T and the other defeat was at Dartford. They still face a massive challenge to get clear of the drop zone, but are a different outfit to the one that played back in August. Braintree meanwhile will be encouraged by their fine first half showing last week at home to Wealdstone and prepare for what could be another stern test. Good, friendly, welcoming and ambitious! DOB: 11/9/1995 (22) Born: Brentwood Previous clubs: Tottenham H (Yth), Maldon T, Colchester U, Needham Market (Loan), Harlow T, Coggleshall T (dual reg) Position: Midfield Q. Do you have another job? A. No Q. Who do you support? A. Tottenham H Q. Who has been/is your favourite player? A. Lionel Messi Q. Who is your favourite band/singer? A. Drake Q. Which social media do you use? A. Instagram, Facebook & Twitter Q. What are your strengths/weaknesses? A. Strength - Creativity. Weakness - Defending Q. What is the best ground you've played at? A. Selhurst Park, whilst at Colchester Q. What has been the most disappointing part of your career so far? A. Being released by Spurs after 6 years there Q. How did you come to be here at Braintree? A. Via a friend of Brad, called me up for training Q. What are your impression of the club and players so far? A. Good, friendly, welcoming and ambitious Q. Have they played any pranks on you? A. No Q. What do you hope to achieve personally whilst you're here? A. Get into the team, get the team winning and in to the play-offs Q. Who has been the best coach you've worked with? A. Ricardo Monets at Tottenham, great skills coach Q. At what level do you think you can play? A. I'd like to get back in to the Football League Q. What's the best advice you've been given within the game? A. Take every opportunity you get - from my Dad Q. What parts of the game don't you enjoy? A. Losing Q. What boots do you wear? A. Nike Q. Who is the most skilful player at the club? A. Roman Michael-Percil Q. Who has the best and worst fashion taste? A. Best - Me. Worst - Ben Wyatt & Christian Frimpong Q. If you could play for any manager, who would it be and why? A. Mauricio Pochettino, love the way he plays football Q. Where do you think Braintree will finish this season? A. Play-offs. Braintree & Stones serve up a cracker Honours ended even in this all action, cup-tie style game at the IronmongeryDirect Stadium on Saturday in what was the proverbial game of two halves - the hosts dominating the first and taking a two goal interval lead with the visitors fighting back with two early second half goals and fully deserving their point. It left home boss Brad Quinton fuming with his players for not showing more discipline and concentration from the second half kick off adding: "Some players mentally were still in the dressing room so we didn't get out of the starting blocks and I'm extremely annoyed at this having dominated the first half. It's all about game management by the players out on the pitch when you're in such a commanding position. "By the interval we should have had the game wrapped up in the first half with the chances and control we had," he declared. "Even when we allowed them to equalise we still had chances towards the end to have won it but some players blew it and I can't accept that - the goals conceded were also down to poor communications between the players." He went on: "I am determined to succeed at this football club and whilst we have built the basis of a good side to succeed any player that doesn't go along with my belief and tactics will soon have to find another club." A bright spot for Quinton was the impressive debut of Colchester United loanee 20 year-old midfielder Diaz Wright who had an outstanding game. "To come into a senior side like this on a heavy, difficult pitch and make such a strong contribution was excellent and he had fantastic energy, determination and passing skills, always looking to go forward and create openings," he added. In reality the Iron should have been at least four goals up by the interval but only excellent saves by visiting keeper Jonathan North to deny Dan Thompson, Ricky Gabriel (twice) and John Muleba keep the scores blank until the 42nd minute when a fine home passing move saw Luke Allen slide the ball into the net. Two minutes into stoppage time North blotted his copy book by bringing down Thompson leaving Billy Crook to step up and score from the penalty spot. The opening minutes of the second half saw the visitors completely transformed and on 59 minutes Matthew Whichelow turned on the edge of the Iron area and sent a curling shot into the top corner of the home net giving keeper Nathan McDonald no chance. The visitors kept up their pressure and on 65 minutes McDonald rushed out to try and deny David Pratt but brought him down to concede a penalty which Daniel Green duly converted. Despite the difficult playing surfaces both sides when at each other as if it was a cup tie and both teams had chances to have snatched a winner with several chances going astray at either end but overall a draw was a fair result. Braintree Town: 4-5-1: McDonald; Muleba, Gabriel, Frimpong, Hill; Wright, Allen (83 Baxter), Crook, Bettache (64 Barrington); Thompson (83 Grant). Unused subs: Michael-Percil, Curtis. Attendance: 510. Referee: Jacob Miles Next up for the Iron is another home game this coming Saturday against Whitehawk, kick off 3pm. Diaz Wright joins from our neighbours Braintree Town have signed 20-year old midfielder Diaz Wright from League Two neighbours Colchester United on a short-term loan. Wright has progressed through Colchester Academy since joining the club at under-13 level, before making his debut in August 2016. He signed a one-year professional development contract with Colchester in June 2016. He was named on the first-team bench for the first time on 30 August 2016 for Colchester's EFL Trophy trip to Crawley Town, making his debut in the game as a second-half substitute. He signed a new one-year contract with Colchester United last summer before enjoying a brief loan spell at Isthmian League Needham Market last October 2017. Sat 10 March 2018 - Braintree T v Wealdstone Wealdstone are currently 12th in the National League South on 44 points. Their away record this season is: Played 14, Won 3, Lost 4, Drawn 7, Points 16. Goals For: 21, Goals Against: 23. Last 4 away results: Won 1-3 v Truro C, Won 0-3 v Bognor Regis T, Drew 1-1 v Hampton & RB, Lost 3-1 v Concord R. Scorers this season: Dan Green - 12 (3p), Dan Fitchett - 7, Matt Whichelow - 6 Braintree T are currently in 7th in the National League South on 49pts. Braintree T last four home games: Won 1-0 v Poole T, Lost 0-2 v Bath C, Lost 1-2 v Hemel Hempstead T, Won 4-0 v East Thurrock U. Braintree Scorers: Crook - 9 (6p), Barrington - 5, Allen & Michael-Percil - 4. With our last game postponed, Mark Okoye will miss out to complete his 2 match suspension. Ipswich loanee Conor McKendry has returned to Portman Road whilst Pat Webber's loan has been extended to 7 April. Last meeting: 2 December 2017 Wealdstone 3 Braintree T 1 A game of costly errors saw the Iron leave empty handed after controlling much of the first half. It was another early goal on eight minutes that gave the hosts the lead. A corner was headed away and picked up 30 yards out and smashed back towards goal through a ruck of bodies and deflected past McDonald. Crook and Oliyide both had good chances to equalise before a long high clearance was miss-judged by Obamwonyi, the ball glancing off his head leaving a clear run at goal for Fitchett to slot home past an advanced McDonald from 18 yards. The second half was only a minute old when Wealdstone took a commanding lead following a break down their left, a cross was put in and McDonald's weak punch was returned with interest from the edge of the box by Green. A headed goal from a corner on 65 minutes attributed to Ellul turned out to be a consolation despite loads of Braintree possession. The Stone's have lost their top scorer in recent weeks with Abobakar Eisa signing for Shrewsbury Town. They have signed Bradley Bubb from Ebbsfleet to replace him and he scored a hat-trick away at Billericay to take the Stones into the Buildbase FA Trophy semi-finals. Stay positive, keep supporting, the season is not over yet With 10 games to go we took the opportunity to catch up with Mark Okoye. Q. It's been a difficult few months with only one win in our last 11 League games. How is the mood in the camp? A. Everybody knows the effect of not winning, not getting points on the board; we need a greater work ethic. Q. How has losing two of our top goal scorers (Roberts & Oliyide) affected the team? A. It's been a blow, they are two good players. They've contributed a lot, so they will be missed. Earlier in the season the goals were shared amongst the team, so we have the ability to score and need to contribute elsewhere. Q. How do you feel about players who have left? A. I respect other players and their decisions. For the team it's another thing to overcome, to step up and take more responsibility. Q. You've had a few centre back partners this season, how does this affect the team? A. Not much affect really. They're all good players; I've learned different things from playing with different people. It helps to bring different sides to my game. Q. What does Josh Hill bring to the team? A. Communication, this is something we've needed. He reads the game very well. Q. You've also had two suspensions, what has your discipline history been in the past (any sending's off)? A. Last season was the first season I'd really picked up bookings, but not before - I put it down to passion. I've only ever had one straight red in my career. Q. How do the different winter conditions affect the team's style of play? A. Conditions always have an effect on how we play; we like to play short, sharp passing football. Sometimes the ball gets held up so we have to learn to adapt. Q. Brad has tried a few different formations, sometimes using 3 centre backs; do you have any preference, what are the plusses and minuses of that system? A. I like 3-5-2 as I can get on the ball more. We play 4 or 3 depending on who we are playing. Sometimes we may match their formation, others we play a formation that plays to our strengths. Q. Do you think teams coming to Cressing Road have adapted the way they play against us; playing a high line, how has that made it more difficult? A. At times we haven't worked hard enough. If we play like we did at the start of the season, our opponents wouldn't be that confident of playing that high. Q. We have conceded the first goal on our travels quite a lot, why is this? A. No answer really; a slow start, not switched on? We've conceded to many goals from mistakes. Q. Does our passing style of play sometimes contribute to the defensive errors made? A. It's the same system that got us to the top of the League. We need to pass and move sharper get into the right positions. Everyone needs to work hard to make sure our shape is right. Young players need maturity, sometimes they can be a bit na•ve. Q. How has Brad and his team reacted to our recent form, have you spoken out? A. We're working hard. Training has been buzzing. No one is shying away from their responsibility. We're all being pro-active. I try to say my piece, but not too much; we're 16 captains and all responsible. Arguments are okay if we want to win and are positive. Q. What is the realistic hope for the rest of the season? A. I don't look at the table. The League is so tight; if top is achievable then we have to aim for it. We want to finish as high as we can, so still promotion for me. Players/management/Board - we're all fighting to achieve it. Q. Any message for the fans? A. Stay positive, keep supporting, the season is not over yet! Iron to visit Tuesday before Easter Braintree Town's Vanarama National League (South) trip - scheduled for last Saturday, 3rd March, but postponed because of the weather - has been re-scheduled. The game will now take place on Tuesday, 27th March, with kick-off at 7.45pm. New date to be agreed Braintree Town's Vanarama National League (South) trip, scheduled for this Saturday, 3rd March, has been postponed. With the Weston pitch currently frozen and more bad weather forecast, it was agreed that the match should be re-arranged for a later date. More news on a new date when we have it. New man secures three points for Iron Iron ended their win-less run by overcoming a hard working visiting Poole Town side much to the relief of home manager Brad Quinton who praised his players for their resilience and strength of character. "It's good to get back to winning ways and keep a clean sheet while it was a much all round improved performance," he declared. "It was the response I wanted after two really hard training sessions this week. "They are a good side, in a false position in the league and had chances in the first half but I felt we were much stronger and dominant in the second half and deserved our win," he added. "You always need that second goal to give you a bit of breathing space and I felt we could have had in that second half when obviously the cold conditions and sticky pitch made for tired legs but we kept our discipline and commitment." Quinton made five changes from the previous week with Christian Frimpong, Mahrez Bettache and Roman Michael-Percil coming in plus the return from suspension of defender Ricky Gabriel while new striker signing Dan Thompson also made the starting line up. The all important goal came in 31 minutes on his Iron debut for ex-Tonbridge Angels' striker Thompson who was left unmarked at the far post to easily head home from a left wing cross by Ben Wyatt. The Iron though rode their luck at times in the first half as new Poole striker, the vastly experienced James Constable, forced a great save by home keeper Nathan McDonald to push the ball over the bar on seven minutes and on 18 minutes Marvin Brooks' shot was save by McDonald with his legs before Steve Devin saw his right wing cross come shot come back off the woodwork. The visitors also had two shots cleared off the line in the busy first period while up at the other end Thompson headed over when well place and Christian Frimpong's header grazed the visiting bar. The second half was evenly matched with play becoming scrappy and legs tired as the home side began to dominate more as the half progressed looking for that all important second goal which failed to come but in the end ran out comfortable winners after all the first half drama. "It wasn't pretty at times but you have to work extra and grind out a result and that's what we did," added Quinton. Braintree Town: (4-4-2): McDonald; Bettache, Gabriel, Hill, Frimpong; Muleba, Allen, Crook (82 McKendry), Wyatt; Thompson (79 Grant), Michael-Percil(69 Barrington). Unused subs: Curtis, Nesbitt. Attendance: 368. Referee: Will Finnie (Luton). Next up for the Iron is an way trip to Weston-Super-Mare on Saturday, kick off 3pm. Sat 24 February 2018 - Braintree T v Poole T Poole T are currently 20th in the Vanarama National League South on 28 points. Their away record this season is: P 14 W 5 D 4 L 5 GF 20 GA 21 Pts 19. Last 4 away results: Drew 2-2 v Gloucester C, Won 0-1 v Hemel Hempstead T, Lost 3-1 v Truro C, Drew 1-1 v Bognor Regis T. Top scorers this season: Warren Bentley - 17, Jez Bedford & Steve Devlin - 5, Richard Gillespie - 4. Braintree Town are currently in place in 8th the Vanarama National League South on 46 points. Braintree's home record this season is: P 15 W 7 D 4 L 4 GF 28 GA 17 Pts 25. Braintree T last 4 home games: Lost 0-2 v Bath C, Lost 1-2 v Hemel Hempstead T, Won 4-0 v East Thurrock U, Drew 2-2 v Chelmsford C. Top Braintree Town Scorers: Billy Crook- 9 (6p), Marcel Barrington - 5, Luke Allen & Roman Michael-Percil - 4. Suspension news: Mark Okoye starts a 2 match ban following his second suspension of the season. Ricky Gabriel has completed his ban and is available for selection. Last meeting: 11 November 2017 Poole T 0 Braintree T 3 - Three second half goals following the 49th minute sending off of Town's Spetch gave the Iron the three points and a return to the top of the Vanarama National League South. Wynter opened the scoring after Roberts long range shot was parried and Oliyide's follow up was also saved. Mahrez Bettache then opened his account for the season, running at his full back, into the area and shooting across the Ôkeeper. Billy Crook completed the scoring with a simple side foot home from close range. How times have changed since our last meeting. In the current form table for the last 10 games played, Braintree are third from bottom, whilst our opponents are fourth from bottom. In that same period the Dolphins have chalked up three victories compared to our one. With only one point on the board in February, a much needed 3 points are required to get us back on track. All about getting the ball off Bill DOB: 1/8/1991 (26) Born: Cardiff Previous Clubs: Worksop & Ilkeston, Dartford, Boreham Wood, Havant & W (Loan), St Albans C, Chelmsford C, Wealdstone Position: Centre Back Q. What is your job? A. Working for Marie Curie in digital marketing Q. Who do you support? A. Cardiff C Q. Who has been/is your favourite player? A. Zinedine Zidane Q. What is your favourite food? A. Roast dinner Q. What has been your best holiday? A. Last year travelling around California Q. Which social media do you use? A. Instagram & Twitter Q. You've played for a few of our rivals, where did you enjoy playing the most? A. Boreham Wood - we won the play-offs in my time there Q. How did you come to sign for Braintree? A. Wealdstone released me in December 2017; I got a call from Brad in January Q. Have you played with any of the current squad before? A. Yes, I played with Reece Grant at Wealdstone; I'd also played with Phil Roberts Q. What are your first impressions of the club/staff/fans? A. Seems like a good club, nice ground, solid away support Q. What are your strengths/weaknesses? A. Strength - composure. Weakness - pace Q. What is the best ground you've played at? A. City Ground (Nottingham F) when I was at Uni Q. What are your footballing aspirations? A. To play as high as I can, for as long as I can Q. Who is the best player you have played with? A. Glenn Little at Wealdstone Q. Which team mate is the hardest to mark in training? A. Billy Crook - you can't get the ball off him Q. Which player has made you laugh? A. Luke Allen - he's a joker Q. Which player takes the longest time in the shower? A. Mark Okoye Q. If you could partner any centre back, who would it be and why? A. Gerard Pique - he plays for Barcelona & Spain and is married to Shakira, he has the life I want Q. Name 4 teams you expect to be in the play-offs come April A. Braintree, Chelmsford C, Havant & Waterlooville, St Albans C First half goals leave too much to do The wait for an Iron win goes on after this latest setback at Nyewood Lane on Saturday where they conceded two sloppy first half goals from which they never recovered despite an improved second half showing. It means Iron have now gone six games without a win seriously denting their hopes for the play-offs and again it was basic errors that saw them concede goals, the first after four minutes and the second five minutes before the interval. It left manager Brad Quinton again frustrated and disappointed with his side adding: "We had a game plan that was working but you cannot accept individual errors that caused us to concede two sloppy goals. "I had a big go at the players at half time and to their credit they responded in the right way and I felt we pressurised their defence for long periods but just couldn't find that edge to get an equaliser which I think we deserved," he explained. "When we were one goal down had young Reece Grant scored when through on goal we would have been level and I think the confidence of a goal then would have pushed us on. "But then we give away another poor goal right on half time and being two goals down it's an uphill struggle particularly against a home side down in the relegation zone fighting for their lives," he continued. "We have to learn from it and the only bright spot is that other teams around us in play-off contention are also dropping points." The Iron started with Marcel Barrington leading the attack following the departure the previous evening of Phil Roberts and their was a first start for Ipswich Town loanee Connor McKenny. The home side had the better start though taking the lead on four minutes when the Iron lost the ball in midfield and then the defence failed to clear leaving the unmarked Richard Gilot to simply bundle the ball over the line. Although the Iron had lengthy spells of possession they faltered in front of goal although Billy Crook (20 minutes) and McKenny (21) had chances only to be denied by home keeper Dan Lincoln. Much against the run of play the home side added a second on 40 minutes when poor Iron defending saw Ollie Pearce lob the ball over the advancing Iron keeper Nathan McDonald. The second half saw a vast improvement from Iron with some at times desperate home defending and Crook gave visiting fans hope when he curled in a fine shot from the right wing that gave Lincoln no chance on 64 minutes. Iron pushed hard for the equaliser but again some wayward passing and the lack of cutting edge in attack proved their downfall, although substitute Roman Michael-Percil's appearance on the hour did help to create fresh problems for the home rearguard. But it was another defeat for the Iron with Quinton adding: "We need to start winning again and I am confident we will." Next up for the Iron is a home game against Poole Town on Saturday. Braintree Town: McDonald; Muleba, Webber, Hill, Okoye; McKendry (Curtis 87), Crook, Allen (Baxter 79), Wyatt; Barrington, Grant (Michael-Percil 61). Unused subs: Bettache, Frimpong. Referee: David Spain (Sussex). Sat 17 February 2018 Bognor Regis T are currently 21st in the Vanarama National League South on 21 points. Their away record this season is: P 14 W 2 D 4 L 8 GF 17 GA 26 Pts 10. Last 4 home results: Lost 0-2 v Truro C, Lost 0-3 v Wealdstone, Lost 0-3 v Havant & W, Drew 1-1 v Poole T (they also had 2 home games postponed during this time). Top scorers this season: Jimmy Muitt - 9, Ollie Pearce - 8, Ibra Sekajja - 6 Braintree Town are currently in 8th place in the Vanarama National League South on 46 points. Braintree's away record this season is: P 15 W 5 D 6 L 4 GF 25 GA 25 Pts 21. Braintree T last 4 away games: Drew 0-0 v Havant & W, Lost 3-0 v Welling, Drew 1-1 v Chippenham T, Drew 2-2 v Chelmsford C. Top Braintree Town Scorers: Phil Roberts - 17, Billy Crook- 8 (6p), Marcel Barrington - 5. Suspension news: Ricky Gabriel serves the last of his three match suspension. Last meeting: 4 November 2017 Braintree T 3 Bognor Regis T 0 - The Iron got off to a lightning start when Wynter smashed home a goal on the turn after only 21 seconds. Eight minutes into the second half, Oliyide doubled the hosts lead finishing off Bihmoutine's low cross from close range. Barrington completed the scoring in the final minute with a belter of a shot. Bognor have only won once since our last meeting. The Iron meanwhile, have won only three League games in the same period and have also failed to score in their last three games. A big game for Iron as we look to halt the slide down the table? Short and long term discussed It was standing room only for the large number of Braintree Town supporters who attended Thursday evening's Fans Forum in the Clubhouse at the IronmongeryDirect Stadium. The meeting, which lasted for almost three hours, included an update on the progress made over recent weeks and plans for the rest of the season; a questions and answers section with First Team Manager Brad Quinton and Coach Barry Bolton; and finished with a lengthy debate about the Club's current progress and hopes for relocation. Chairman Lee Harding opened proceedings with a brief update and paid tribute to the support of the parent club from the Supporters Club, FSA and numerous individuals. A frank exchange of views was encouraged and an up to date assessment of the Board's plans for the remainder of the season were outlined. Brad and Barry then updated the meeting on the latest player movements with four new faces replacing two departees and both remain focused on securing the points necessary from the remaining league twelve matches to secure a promotion play-off place. After a refreshment break, the Board continued by outlining its hopes for relocation and updated supporters on recent progress, reiterating its desire for relocation and the reasons why. The meeting continued with a progress report on the Board's actions since the summer of 2016 and gave a detailed assessment of the progress made with securing development partners over recent months. Supporters were advised of the Board's latest costings for a new stadium, together with plans to relocate as many fixtures and fittings as possible (such as the demountable terracing, stands, floodlighting system, turnstiles, etc.). Details were given of primary items of expenditure and the options were explained for the Club after any sale of the existing stadium, with both a short-term lease back of the existing stadium or a ground-share locally being actively investigated. The Board completed its presentation by inviting comment from supporters on their preferences for the new stadium and the announcement of a new Relocation sub-committee of the Board, which would invite representations from supporters. While welcoming the update, supporters were sensibly cautious about the relocation process and a series of questions and answers followed providing further detail. Chairman Lee Harding was delighted by the progress of the Forum: "Nights such as these are often cross-roads in a clubs' development and we are no different. When the Board and supporters met a fortnight ago I was away, but I felt we all benefitted from this latest meeting with many searching questions asked. Differing views were expressed, that's healthy, but I'm confident all want success for our Club. "The vast majority of the Board remain committed to pushing the Club on in an effort to secure a return to non-League football's top flight, while putting in place a new home that will allow the Club to progress and provide additional income streams for us to compete at a higher level. "The Board have been careful with the development of our existing ground and much has been put in place that can be taken with us - this will allow us to provide an affordable new stadium that will meet our requirements for the long-term. "We will take on board the comments and reservations about a ground move and now seek the further advice and guidance of our local authority to agree upon a mutually acceptable arrangement that will allow our Council to benefit from the Football Club's relocation and secure the Football Club's long term future, at no cost to the Council. "Getting the supporters involved in our Relocation committee is also vital because they are our customers and will be using our stadium facilities long-term. There are, of course, planning requirements and FA Ground grading criteria, but our fans must have a say." Board and Team Management invite you all for an update A reminder that the Club will be hosting a Fans Forum this coming Thursday, 15th February in the Clubhouse at the IronmongeryDirect Stadium, starting at 7.45pm. All Club Directors will be invited to attend as will First Team Manager Brad Quinton and his coaching staff. The purpose of the forum will be to update all supporters on the Board's plans for the remainder of the current season and on the latest developments with possible Club relocation - prior to seeking the approval of a company Extraordinary General Meeting of shareholders. Chairman Lee Harding would like to see as many fans as possible attend: "Come along, hear our plans and ask any questions - we'll be as honest and open as we can. While the plans for the remainder of the season are, of course, important, the issue of possible relocation is fundamental to our Club's long-term future - our very existence. |