Match report
Following an action-packed 97-minute battle at The Fans' Stadium two weeks earlier, the two teams with the league's meanest defences met for round two at Cressing Road, with the Dons arriving having just completed the double over second placed Fisher.
The Dons lined up without suspended midfield anchor Chris Gell, with recent signing Dean Brennan returning to the side following a minor groin injury, alongside Martin Carthy and Wes Daly. With Dave Anderson once again opting for a Chelsea-style 4-3-3 formation, Liam George took on the Drogba role, with Robert Ursell and Dwayne Plummer playing just off him, as they had done the previous week.
And the Dons looked likely to continue where they had left off in that game, dominating the midfield for prolonged periods during the game's opening 30 minutes, without ever really creating too many clear cut chances. But Braintree, while forced on to the back foot, weren't letting the Dons have it all their own way, content to attack on the counter and, in this knowledge, the Dons looked reluctant to gamble in attack. However, they still managed to go close on two occasions, with Ursell firing over from the edge of the home area, and then with Anthony Howard heading wide from Wes Daly's driven free kick. This was the second time in successive games that the centre-back had been somewhat unfortunate not to score from a header on the end of a free-kick, and he's surely due one soon now.
As the home side came out for the second half with renewed gusto, it was they who created the better chances to break the deadlock. First, Billy Burgess skied over from three yards out when it had looked easier to hit the target, then Carl Griffiths - last year's Ryman Premier top scorer - shot wide when well placed just outside the six-yard box and with Andy Little beaten.
In reply, Carthy saw a drive from the edge of the box deflected off target, before Shane Smeltz on for Ursell - sent the impressive Dwayne Plummer free. As he bore down on goal, Plummer shaped to shoot but his touch let him down and home keeper Gay was able to smother.
Next up it was the Dons' keeper's turn to keep his side in the game when he palmed James Hawes' rising shot away. Then, as the Dons regrouped, Paul Lorraine's header crashed back off the crossbar with just minutes left on the clock.
As the referee brought proceedings to a close, both sides would have been happy with the point from a fiercely contested, entertaining game. |
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