Post by dbbn on Sept 16, 2023 18:36:43 GMT
The Iron travelled to Costa Canvey this afternoon to play Canvey Island at the Movie Starr Stadium on another hot afternoon. With Will Davies not available, manager Angelo Harrop gambled on starting Kyran Clements in the number 9 role and Leon Davies was on the bench giving Ben Watt his first start in midfield. There was also a place on the bench for the returning Dan Sparkes. If this had been a movie, Braintree's first half would have come in the horror category. Canvey were brighter, sharper and threatened early on. Braintree were slow and were passing amongst the back four whilst the home side mainly sat back until Braintree decided to force a longer pass, most of which were overhit. Despite some early Canvey chances, there was some bad finishing and they should have led when they had the ball outside the box, it looked as though their player was going to have a pot, but he laid it off to a team mate inside the area, but his side foot effort rolled wide of the far post. Braintree's first effort on goal came from Watt who was 25 yards out but his daisy cutter lacked any real punch and was straight at the keeper. When we did get it wide the crosses were mostly overhit and a lack of numbers made it easy for the home team to defend, With 5 minutes of the first half left, Watt was withdrawn, he didn't look injured and Leon Davies came on. Braintree's next chance came from a Blackwell corner where Grimwood met it about 6 yards out, but it goes over the bar. In the last minute of the half the home side scored, a free kick out on the left about 25 yards out, the ball went all the way to the back post where Canvey's tall centre half snuck in unmarked to head home from close range.
Clearly not pleased with the first half efforts, Braintree came out on the front foot with Blackwell trying a long ranger which goes over. Dangerous winger Kouassi then brought Sims into action as he cut inside from the left and lets fly with Sims fingertips diverting the shot over the bar. With less than 10 second half minutes played, the Clements experiment is ended and Dan Sparkes enters the field. Four minutes later and Braintree attack down the left, Carson gives it to Quantrell and goes on the overlap, Quantrell decides to carry the ball inside and drills one low which seemed to catch the home keeper out and the Iron are level. Canvey almost regain the lead straight away, but the shot across goal seems to hit a Braintree player and is eventually scrambled out for a corner. Aaron Blair then has two chances in quick succession, firstly set up by Sparkes just inside the box, he opts for a first time shot and seems to mis-hit it and the keeper going the wrong way is able to keep it out with his trailing leg, then he goes for a spectacular volley from just outside the box, but the ball ends up in the Thames. Payne is next to try a long ranger, but leaning back, the ball is once again out of the ground. Canvey have a header which goes over whilst back down the other end Blackwell coming in off the left drags his effort wide of the near post. With time running out Matshazi comes on for Blair. Two minutes into added time and it's almost a dream return for Sparkes, good work down the left flank from Blackwell and this time the cross is right on the money, Sparkes ghosts in off the right and meets it on the volley, but it's straight at the keeper, the ball rebounds back to Sparkes but he cannot react in time and the chance is gone. There's a late big chance to steal the tie for the home side but Sims keeps us in it with a point blank save.
So we go again on Tuesday evening, hopefully lessons will have been learned from this outing.
Clearly not pleased with the first half efforts, Braintree came out on the front foot with Blackwell trying a long ranger which goes over. Dangerous winger Kouassi then brought Sims into action as he cut inside from the left and lets fly with Sims fingertips diverting the shot over the bar. With less than 10 second half minutes played, the Clements experiment is ended and Dan Sparkes enters the field. Four minutes later and Braintree attack down the left, Carson gives it to Quantrell and goes on the overlap, Quantrell decides to carry the ball inside and drills one low which seemed to catch the home keeper out and the Iron are level. Canvey almost regain the lead straight away, but the shot across goal seems to hit a Braintree player and is eventually scrambled out for a corner. Aaron Blair then has two chances in quick succession, firstly set up by Sparkes just inside the box, he opts for a first time shot and seems to mis-hit it and the keeper going the wrong way is able to keep it out with his trailing leg, then he goes for a spectacular volley from just outside the box, but the ball ends up in the Thames. Payne is next to try a long ranger, but leaning back, the ball is once again out of the ground. Canvey have a header which goes over whilst back down the other end Blackwell coming in off the left drags his effort wide of the near post. With time running out Matshazi comes on for Blair. Two minutes into added time and it's almost a dream return for Sparkes, good work down the left flank from Blackwell and this time the cross is right on the money, Sparkes ghosts in off the right and meets it on the volley, but it's straight at the keeper, the ball rebounds back to Sparkes but he cannot react in time and the chance is gone. There's a late big chance to steal the tie for the home side but Sims keeps us in it with a point blank save.
So we go again on Tuesday evening, hopefully lessons will have been learned from this outing.
