BRAINTREE...5, OLD MERCHANT TAYLORS...26 Braintree's season of woe continued unabated at Beckers Green Road as they were totally outgunned by a young and mobile pack.

Skipper Matt Wadforth made no excuses for this latest reverse in a campaign littered with misfortune.

Once again the black and ambers could not be faulted for their passion and commitment in the face of adversity.

But it cannot be denied that without a pack capable of winning consistent possession Braintree could have all the quality backs in the world and it wouldn't make an iota of difference.

But despite containing their visitors early on Braintree could not seem to stop shooting themselves in their collective feet up front.

Time and again Braintree's pack were caught straying offside, ceding three easy penalties in front of their own posts to a ruthless Taylors outfit.

The fact the home side managed to keep the half time score down to 9-0 was tribute indeed to the resourceful tackling skills they have been forced to develop.

Braintree's backs meanwhile found themselves all but starved of ball.

As Braintree tired Taylors added three tries and a conversion before second team skipper Chris McCann scored a consolation.

Fly half Steve Jarlett received the ball from his pack before feeding centre Wadforth who stormed into the opposition 22.

The skipper then turned inside and popped the ball to McCann in support and he crashed over the line.

Braintree's second, third and fourth teams all had a weekend off after their games were called off at short notice.

Braintree were unable to put out a side to travel to Old Merchant Taylors and Canvey Island's thirds cried off a few hours before they were due at Robbs Wood.

The fourths also had a blank weekend when their opponents Rayleigh IIs cancelled on Saturday.

Skipper Matt Wadforth is hoping for a productive run-out when his leg weary troops face Luton-based Stockwood Park in a friendly on Saturday.

Chris McCann's second XV entertain Sudbury IIIs while Mark Davy's third team entertain Dagenham in a merit table fixture.

Tony Smith's fourths travel to east London to face Dagenham IIs in a friendly.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.