Post by dbbn on Apr 22, 2023 17:38:35 GMT
Iron players celebrate reaching the playoffs - photo by Jon Weaver
A big afternoon for the Iron this afternoon as they finally secured their place in this season's play-offs. To a man the lads all put in a shift to overcome rivals Eastbourne Borough and a another poor referee who was only too happy to brandish a yellow card to anyone in an orange and white shirt. Manager Angelo Harrop named an unchanged team that had lost last week at Worthing and they started the better of the two sides. Braintree's first chance came on 8 minutes, a free kick central just inside the Borough half is swung out right by Farrell for Altintop who half volleys a cross into the box which is sent goal wards and cleared off the line with Pavey unable to make a clean connection to finish it off, before the lino raises his flag for offside. Minutes later and another Farrell free kick, this time on the right and a lot closer to goal sees the full back go for goal but it lacks the width and Worgan takes an easy catch. The visitors had offered very little going forward, but top scorer Remy uses his pace well down the right and fires across goal and wide. Braintree then should've opened the scoring. a ball over the top sees Blair chase it down, but his marker is there first but under hits a poor header towards his keeper and Blair is alert and squares it to Janneh just inside the box but with a gaping goal he leans back and powers it over the bar. Minutes later and Janneh is booked on the halfway line as he goes in feet first to win the ball and although he takes the ball first, his follow through sees him slip his opponent who goes down rolling around. Short of the half hour and Braintree almost score again, from yet another free kick, the initial delivery is cleared but the ball is recycled and Janneh is slipped in just inside the box, he gets to the by-line and powers a ball across goal, Pavey at the far post heads it back across where White meets it well and Worgan has to tip it over for a corner. Clements is then harshly shown a yellow as both he and his opponent try to outmuscle each other on the halfway line, the ref sees something untoward and that would later prove to be costly for the centre back. Boro have offered little in the way of an attacking threat but in a rare foray Williams sees his shot blocked in the area by Payne. Janneh does well at the other end pressurising his man from behind and dispossessing him, he goes on collects the ball and crosses to Blair and the ref decides seconds after the tackle that it was unfair and brings the play back. Boro then get their best chance to open the scoring breaking from a Braintree corner and suddenly they are away, Davies is too soft with his tackle on the halfway line and now it's one against one with Farrell the last man, Sims races out to dive at the strikers' feet but he still gets a shot off which is heading into an open goal before Farrell makes a last gasp stretch to get the ball over the bar for a corner. As the half comes to a close, there's till time for another Iron chance with Pavey shooting on the angle to the near post, but it's saved. The Iron wouldn't have to wait long though for the opener and it came in added time. The ball is played in from the left the ball is initially cleared to Janneh on the edge of the box he shapes to shoot but is closed down, he dinks it over his man and fires a left foot volley into the opposite corner of the net.
Boro needed a response and started the second half on the front foot, yet it was Braintree who almost scored again first. Another Farrell free kick after Blair was fouled 30 yards out sees Farrell deliver it and it eventually falls to Blair close to the near post, but under pressure and leaning back he fires over. Sims is called into action on fifty four minutes a Boro get in on the left, he parries the shot and Davies is fouled to prevent any follow up. They come again and this time Bartley shoots but there are a mass of orange and white shirts in his way. Janneh is then subbed off just past the hours for Alfie Matthews. Braintree come forward down the right and Pavey has it out wide, he crosses deep but not quite into Davies path, he retrieves the ball and sends it back into the box, it appears to evade everyone but the ref gives a corner. Farrell sends it over and it's initially headed out but eventually drops to Zac Bradshaw just inside the area, he scuffs his shot but it takes a big deflection and with Worgan committed to going the other way, the ball trickles into the net. On sixty five minutes Boro are attacking down their left level with the area, Clements slightly mis-times his challenge and the ref is quick with a second yellow, followed by a red card. From the free kick, the ball is fizzed in a glancing near post header is well saved by Sims conceding a corner. From the corner another goal bound effort is blocked, this time by White. Braintree are holding their shape well and nullifying many of their opponents attacks. On the counter Blair does well on the right finally evading a few challenges he crosses where Bradshaw arriving late at the far post lacks the killer touch and sends his effort over the bar. Farrell is then booked by the ref on the halfway line on the left as he waits to take a throw in having just tracked all the way over form the right having taken a corner. He is immediately withdrawn and Jack Turner comes on. The closing ten minutes and stoppage time see plenty of Boro possession but they lack any ideas of how to break down the Iron rear-guard and Sims is left to mop up a few tame efforts and crosses. The whistle goes, Braintree ar up to fifth and the chasing pack can no longer pass them, play-off spot secured!
