FOREST GREEN ROVERS 1 BRAINTREE TOWN 1

Vanarama National League

Braintree Town gave their battle to beat the Vanarama National League drop a sizeable boost as they drew 1-1 at promotion-chasing Forest Green Rovers.

When the season ends, the Iron may look on this point as a crucial one, but they were in no way fortunate to get it and could have been leaving Gloucestershire with all three.

Michael Cheek’s 14th minute strike gave the visitors a lead that a hard-working performance saw them hold on to until the 60th minute.

Charlie Clough got the second-placed hosts back on level terms and there were chances for both sides to snatch a winner in the final half-hour of the match.

In the end, though, both had to be content with a draw and it was a game that could probably be summed up as a tale of two keepers.

Both Iron custodian Sam Beasant and his opposite number, Sam Russell, pulled off vital and eye-catching stops for their respective teams to make sure they had something to show for their endeavours.

There was just one change for the Iron from the side that started the 5-2 FA Trophy win at East Thurrock United seven days before.

That was enforced by the return of Ebou Adams to Norwich City from his loan spell at Braintree and saw Sam Corne slot back into the midfield.

There was also a return for Reece Hall-Johnson on the visitors’ bench as he came back from a three-game suspension after his sending off at Dagenham and Redbridge on January 2.

The game started with Rovers seeing a lot of the ball and Beasant was tested by an early effort from Keanu Marsh-Brown as the hosts looked to make the most of their possession.

Braintree’s defence and midfield had to be disciplined and Beasant was kept busy in the opening minutes to keep the deadlock in place, but it was at the other end that the first goal came.

It was in the 14th minute when they broke down the Forest Green right from a Jack Midson throw-in.

It found Jerome Okimo, who swung in a cross from the byline to Michael Cheek, who made no mistake in bringing down the ball and burying it into the back of the net.

Having enjoyed all the play in the opening spell, Forest Green were suddenly on the back foot as the Iron started to torment them down the left-hand side.

It was clear that the goal had emboldened Braintree and a free-kick found an Iron head, but this time it was into Russell’s arms.

It was a let-off for the hosts and Russell had to be alert soon after as the Rovers keeper just managed to tip another effort over when Corne got forward and won a header in the box from another Okimo cross.

With their lead in place, though, Braintree fell back into the pattern with which they had started the game.

They had men behind the ball as Forest Green had more possession ahead of them and proved tough to break down while looking to capitalise on any breaks forward that they could engineer.

Rovers were frustrated by a stoic Braintree defence, although Beasant had to be on form again on 39 minutes when some good build-up play saw the ball fall to Rob Sinclair.

He tried his luck with a curling shot and Beasant made a good save to turn the ball away, however, a Braintree counter-attack two minutes later had Russell doing similar.

This time, the end effort came from Midson as he tested the home keeper, but it remained with Braintree holding a slender lead at the break.

That was almost doubled in the first few seconds after the restart as a Braintree break saw Cheek head the ball from close-range and Russell had to claw the ball away with an outstanding save.

Had that gone in, it may have been a long way for the hosts to come back, but their keeper kept Forest Green in the game and the play resumed as it had finished in the first half.

The hosts had most of the possession, but the Iron’s midfield and defence harried and pressed the Rovers players to deny them the chance to make more of that.

Braintree’s staunch defence prompted Rovers boss Mark Cooper to make a double substitution as early as the 56th minute as he looked to change things around in search of a breakthrough.

It wasn’t long before it came, but it was from a set piece rather than open play.

In the 60th minute, Forest Green pulled level as Liam Noble swung in a free-kick with a pinpoint delivery that found Clough, who headed past Beasant.

The goal set Braintree back as the home side now turned up the pressure and they went close from a corner that led to a goalmouth scramble.

There was then a wonderful save from Beasant from a free-kick by Noble that was bent round the Iron wall and was heading into the corner until the Iron keeper intervened.

It was crucial moment as it meant Braintree could see off the Rovers pressure that had been building and they began to take the game back to the hosts.

Parity lasted into the final ten minutes of the game as both sides looked for a winning goal.

The hosts kept pressing with a number of chances, but Braintree saw an opportunity as Okimo met a late corner well but wasn’t able to keep his header down enough to get it on target.

Referee Wayne Barrett found seven minutes of time to add on at the end and in the final one of those, Christian Doidge had the ball in the Iron net from a free-kick.

However, Barrett cut home celebrations short as his whistle for off-side denied Rovers a winner.

It was a frantic finish to the game, but the next significant blow on Barrett’s whistle was to end the game as Braintree took a point that moved them up a place to 17th in the National League table.

Braintree Town: Sam Beasant, Jerome Okimo, Sean Clohessy, Jake Goodman, Manny Parry, Jack Midson, Chez Isaac, Alex Henshall (Reece Hall-Johnson 71), Kris Twardek, Sam Corne (Kyron Farrell 83), Michael Cheek (Lee Barnard 89).

Subs not used: Ian Gayle, Joe Maybanks.

Referee: Wayne Barrett.