Post by dbbn on Aug 19, 2023 20:14:03 GMT
The Iron picked up their first away point of the season in Kent this afternoon, but will have left the Crabble thinking they should've bagged all three. Two changes from Tuesdays home defeat against Maidstone saw John White replaced on the right of defence by Josh Dawodu, with the captain not fit enough to make the bench, whilst Alfie Payne was replaced by George Quantrell in midfield.
The Iron playing in their new "solar" green strip were on the front foot from the off, passing down the right channel Blackwell was in behind the last defender inside the area and shot for goal hitting the inside of the near post with the ball going across the face of goal and cleared. Five minutes in and from their second corner, the Iron were in front, Blackwell sends in an out swinger from the right and the ball eventually drops at the feet of Kyran Clements who rams the ball home from 12 yards. After that opening ten minutes or so, Dover upped their game, but it was almost Clements at the double on 17 minutes as another ball drops to him, this time further out, but this time it goes wide of the upright. Beadle was the involved in a clash of heads with a Dover player which left him with a nose bleed, although Dover fans were moaning thinking he was play acting! Another good Iron move sees Dawodu raiding down the right wing, he looks up for support but his cross is too deep. On 26 minutes the home side are level, the back line had looked unsteady at times with balls coming into the box and with better finishing could have been level earlier. There's a challenge just inside the area centrally with the Dover playing hitting the deck, the ref ignores the protests, but the ball is still rolling across the area and another challenge comes in from Beadle and the tackle is fractionally late and this time the ref points to the spot. Dover captain Dunne tucks the spot kick into the right corner with Sims going the other way. Dover have a direct free kick from a good range outside the box, but it sails over the bar. Another Braintree corner and this time it's Grimwood meeting it, but it has too much power and goes wide. A let off for the Iron from another corner although the ball is cleared back out to the corner taker, the second cross is lower and met 6 yards out but Sims is in just the right position to take a clean catch. Beadle who has been making a few mistakes and still looks a bit groggy is then subbed shortly before half time and replaced by Tompkins.
Second half begins with the home side on a counter attack raid and a long range goal bound effort takes the slightest touch from Sims to concede a corner. Braintree then start to make better use of their possession and Blackwell is causing all sorts of problems on the left as he has a couple of defenders in his pocket, but often the final ball is overhit or played behind/intercepted. First yellow card for the Iron when manager Harrop protests too much for a free kick not awarded in front of the dug out for a foul on Dawodu. Dover are struggling to gain any sort of control but chances ar efew and far between Nnamdi comes on for Quantrell and cuts inside and sees his shot deflected for a corner. The ball comes in and Nnami just beyond the far post heads it back across goal where Clements at the opposite post somehow misses the target from close range. Nnamdi then has the best chance of the game, he's in line with the last defender on the edge of the box and a perfectly weighted through ball gives him the chance to go one on one with the keeper who initially forces him wide, with the angle narrowing and a defender getting back Nnamdi sends his effort goalwards only to see the keeper somehow recover from his prone position to stretch out a telescopic arm and concede a corner, if Nnamdi had dinked it, it would've been 2-1. Payne comes on for Blackwell for the final 10 minutes and Dover are relying on the counter and there are two close calls where last ditch tackles blocks from Blackwell and Payne keep the scores level. A few late stoppages sees 5 added minutes with more players going down extending that time, but no more dramas.
Dover probably deserved be level at the break, but a much improved second half from the Iron should've been rewarded for their efforts.
The Iron playing in their new "solar" green strip were on the front foot from the off, passing down the right channel Blackwell was in behind the last defender inside the area and shot for goal hitting the inside of the near post with the ball going across the face of goal and cleared. Five minutes in and from their second corner, the Iron were in front, Blackwell sends in an out swinger from the right and the ball eventually drops at the feet of Kyran Clements who rams the ball home from 12 yards. After that opening ten minutes or so, Dover upped their game, but it was almost Clements at the double on 17 minutes as another ball drops to him, this time further out, but this time it goes wide of the upright. Beadle was the involved in a clash of heads with a Dover player which left him with a nose bleed, although Dover fans were moaning thinking he was play acting! Another good Iron move sees Dawodu raiding down the right wing, he looks up for support but his cross is too deep. On 26 minutes the home side are level, the back line had looked unsteady at times with balls coming into the box and with better finishing could have been level earlier. There's a challenge just inside the area centrally with the Dover playing hitting the deck, the ref ignores the protests, but the ball is still rolling across the area and another challenge comes in from Beadle and the tackle is fractionally late and this time the ref points to the spot. Dover captain Dunne tucks the spot kick into the right corner with Sims going the other way. Dover have a direct free kick from a good range outside the box, but it sails over the bar. Another Braintree corner and this time it's Grimwood meeting it, but it has too much power and goes wide. A let off for the Iron from another corner although the ball is cleared back out to the corner taker, the second cross is lower and met 6 yards out but Sims is in just the right position to take a clean catch. Beadle who has been making a few mistakes and still looks a bit groggy is then subbed shortly before half time and replaced by Tompkins.
Second half begins with the home side on a counter attack raid and a long range goal bound effort takes the slightest touch from Sims to concede a corner. Braintree then start to make better use of their possession and Blackwell is causing all sorts of problems on the left as he has a couple of defenders in his pocket, but often the final ball is overhit or played behind/intercepted. First yellow card for the Iron when manager Harrop protests too much for a free kick not awarded in front of the dug out for a foul on Dawodu. Dover are struggling to gain any sort of control but chances ar efew and far between Nnamdi comes on for Quantrell and cuts inside and sees his shot deflected for a corner. The ball comes in and Nnami just beyond the far post heads it back across goal where Clements at the opposite post somehow misses the target from close range. Nnamdi then has the best chance of the game, he's in line with the last defender on the edge of the box and a perfectly weighted through ball gives him the chance to go one on one with the keeper who initially forces him wide, with the angle narrowing and a defender getting back Nnamdi sends his effort goalwards only to see the keeper somehow recover from his prone position to stretch out a telescopic arm and concede a corner, if Nnamdi had dinked it, it would've been 2-1. Payne comes on for Blackwell for the final 10 minutes and Dover are relying on the counter and there are two close calls where last ditch tackles blocks from Blackwell and Payne keep the scores level. A few late stoppages sees 5 added minutes with more players going down extending that time, but no more dramas.
Dover probably deserved be level at the break, but a much improved second half from the Iron should've been rewarded for their efforts.