Harriers fall to another away defeat

For the second game in a row the Harriers returned from an away trip without the points and more worryingly without scoring.  Just the one goal on our travels this season, at Dover, is no way to win games, obviously, and even though we peppered the Braintree goal at times the ball refused to go in.

Starting the game with a bit more squad rotation we had Craig Reid dropped for the first time, going to the bench, and Nathan Blissett returning to the starting eleven following his bench warming at Southport.  Aman Verma also came in for Jamie Grimes as the Harriers manager Gary Whild looked to get away from the defensive tag that he's been getting attached to him lately.  On the bench was Michael Gash following his non appearance there at Southport with Callum Gittings being the one to go AWOL this time round.

It was Braintree who were to start the stronger in the first fifteen minutes of the game although the Harriers did get an early sight of goal when Reece Styche fired wide after collecting a pass from Kyle Storer.  The Iron dominated the remainder of the first quarter though and it was only going to be a matter of time before they gained the lead through Jamie Mulley.  A truly impressive goal from all of twenty five yards out took a swerve across the goal after getting caught by the wind off the Essex Marshes and left Danny Lewis rooted to the spot.

It could have been 2-0 ten minutes later when Jordan Cox met a Sam Habergham cross and sent a good header just over the bar that left Lewis scrabbling back for it.  He should really have scored with that to double the host lead.

We had been struggling to get into the game but finally the breaks started to come our way with, firstly, Styche saw his shot blocked on the line, Kyle Storer struck the post and then Jack Byrne saw his shot saved by the in form Braintree keeper Nick Hamann.

We went into the dressing rooms a goal down but the signs were there that we could begin to see something better in the second period.

Sadly that wasn't to be as Braintree increased their lead just three minutes in.  A corner was conceded by the Harriers after a lack of communication between Storer and Josh Gowling and that set piece was sent across to the far post where, as per usual, we hadn't stationed a man.  Kenny Davis had the easiest of tasks to poke the ball home.

Gary Whild decided it was time to make some changes to the team and bought on Michael Gash in place of Nathan Blissett and then a few minutes later Ahmed Obeng in exchange for Aman Verma.  That signalled a decent period for us as we began to pass the ball around, as we should be doing anyway, and so Braintree responded by bringing on defenders in an effort to preserve their lead.

Chey Dunkley went close with a header and Obeng started his game with a fine effort that once again was stopped from going in by another save from the keeper.  Kevin Nicholson also went close from one of his special free kicks that forced Hamann into yet another top drawer save.

The pressure was beginning to tell on the home side now and that surfaced in a shocking tackle on Obeng, from Kenny Davis, that left the Harriers sub needing lengthy treatment.  It was also the second booking for Davis after he had earlier clattered into Marvin Johnson meaning it was an early exit home for the Town captain.

Now down to ten men, the second game in a week for us after Southport lost a player in midweek, we needed to capitalise on this and to be fair we tried more than we did at Southport.  Various players had chance to score a consolation goal for us, two was unlikely, and the closest to get near that was Obeng once more with his shot in the dying seconds of the game yet again hitting the post.

We have now dropped down to eleventh in the table after being in fourth place just two weeks ago.  We now have the chance to regain some of that ground at home to Altrincham this coming Tuesday and we need to take it or drop further.

 Goals for Braintree: Mulley 14, Davis 48

REFEREE:

Mr J Amey Dorset