BRAINTREE TOWN had a miserable afternoon after slumping to a 6-1 defeat at Dover Athletic.

It leaves the Iron fourth from bottom in the Vanarama National League and just a point above basement boys Guiseley.

The setback was their fifth defeat in six matches – a run they will be determined to halt in Tuesday’s match at Woking.

Hakan Heyrettin’s men were left shell-shocked after finding themselves 5-1 down at the end of an action-packed first half at the Perry’s Crabble Stadium.

However, the cruel irony is that it was the Iron who took a 12th-minute lead, through Sam Matthews.

The Bournemouth loanee picked up the ball on the edge of the area and sent a curling effort into the top corner of the goal.

However, that was as good as it got for Braintree as goal machine Ricky Miller plundered a ten-minute first-half hat-trick for Dover.

Aswad Thomas put the Kent side back on level terms after 18 minutes, cutting inside and firing home with a low effort.

And Miller opened his account midway through the half, slotting home from eight yards after the ball fell kindly for him.

It was the first of his three goals in an explosive ten minutes.

He added another after cutting inside and firing home from a tight angle before stretching his side’s lead with another curling effort into the top corner.

It took Miller’s tally for the season to 13 goals.

Braintree almost pulled one back with an effort that was turned behind before Jack Parkinson made it five, blasting home from close range after a cross was not properly dealt with by the Iron defence.

The clinical Whites continued their onslaught after the break as Miller added his fourth - and his side’s sixth - on 48 minutes.

The striker stepped forward to take a free-kick and powered a low, powerful effort into the bottom corner of the net.

New signing, goalkeeper Joe Taylor saw it late as the ball flew through a crowd of players.

It proved the end of the scoring and, in fairness to Braintree, they kept pushing, going close twice in quick succession through Simeon Akinola and George Elokobi.

The former had a shot well-saved while the former Colchester United man was just off-target with a venomous effort.

Dover’s victory took them to within two points of the play-offs – a position they will look to enhance at Bromley on Tuesday night.