John Akinde’s penalty proved the difference as Fleet fell to a single-goal defeat at the Kuflink Stadium this afternoon.
Mustapha Olagunju returned from suspension to replace Franklin Domi in the only change for the home side who were seeking to keep an unbeaten run going.
A lively opening five minutes saw Braintree almost snatch the lead with just 30 seconds on the clock but Akinde mistimed his shot in front of goal on his first competitive return to the club since he departed in 2008. The Fleet responded with threatening set pieces – the first coming from the left as Toby Edser whipped a ball into the area to meet with Tom Dallison. His headed effort was marginally off target.
Fleet went close again as George Moncur teed up Olagunju who was at the far post and he volleyed his effort towards goal but an important deflection by the visitors steered the ball out just over the upright and out for a corner. Moncur’s delivery from that picked out Luke O’Neill but his header found the gloves of Gray.
Play settled but with a couple of stoppages as Braintree were eventually forced to take Louie Annesley off with a head injury.
But with Fleet doing most of the pressing and looking more likely to score, the visitors got the crucial breakthrough. It came on 36 minutes as the visitors took possession in midfield and Kyrell Lisbie raced away only to be checked by Ben Chapman as he cut back across goal. The referee awarded a penalty and Akinde blasted it down the middle.
The Fleet closed out the half with opportunities – Cosgrave tried his luck from a tight angle which Henry Gray blocked and Kwame Thomas attempted a similar result to his goal on Tuesday night with a close-range header but Gray once again rose well to keep his clean sheet intact.
Carrying an injury, Chapman was replaced by Alex Lankshear just before the whistle while Maxx Manktelow was a change at the break for Alex Aoraha.
The Fleet saw plenty of the ball in the second-half against a Braintree side content to break up play and hold on to their lead. Anthony Stewart drilled a ball towards the target while Manktelow fired a shot across the face of goal.
A number of corners were dealt with by Braintree and it took a late thunderous effort by Manktelow to test the Braintree back line; they blocked the shot and Dom Samuel’s, whose effort was also cleared’s attempt to wrestle the ball free for an effort on the rebound came to nothing.
EUFC: Cousins, O’Neill, Stewart (Tanga 68), Dallison, Olagunju, Chapman (Lankshear 45), Aoraha (Manktelow 46), Edser, Moncur (Samuel 79), Cosgrave, Thomas. Subs: Carr, Odokonyero, Firth
BTFC: Gray, Francis-Clarke, Langston, Annesley (Pinnington 26), Clampin (Fyfield 64), Blackwell (Judge 90+1), Vennings, Robinson, Francis, Akinde, Lisbie (Cooper 80). Subs not used: Nielsen, Marshall-Miranda
Attendance: 1,385 (186 away)
Photos: ©EUFC/Dave Plumb
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