BRAINTREE TOWN 0 BARROW AFC 2

Vanarama National League

If Braintree Town are going to maintain their club’s record of never having been relegated, they are going to have to do it the hardest way possible.

A 2-0 defeat by Barrow AFC not only brought the curtain down on the Vanarama National League season at the Ironmongery Direct Stadium, but it was also a huge blow in the Iron’s fight to stay up.

The loss, that came with two second-half goals from the visitors, has left Braintree heading into their final game of the season in an extremely precarious position.

They will have to go to play-off pushers Aldershot Town next weekend knowing that a win is a must and results elsewhere have to go their way.

The Iron held their own for 65 minutes of the match and after surviving and early onslaught from Barrow, looked the equal of their visitors.

However, once Byron Harrison had put Barrow ahead, there was an air of inevitability about the result that was only rubber-stamped by Akil Wright’s second five minutes later.

There were three changes to the Iron’s line-up from the side that lost 3-1 at Torquay on Bank Holiday Monday, with the most notable of those being the inclusion of Jon Ashton.

He replaced Manny Parry in the middle of the Iron’s defence to make only his second start under manager Hakan Hayrettin.

His previous involvement had come in Hayrettin’s very first game in charge – at Lincoln City in October – when he lasted for just 24 minutes before coming off injured.

Ashton did then come on as a substitute in the 6-1 defeat at Dover and had been due to start against Bromley the next month but pulled out after tweaking a calf muscle in the warm-up and had not been seen in the starting line-up since.

He had been on the bench in recent weeks, though, after a loan spell at Ryman League premier division side Grays Athletic and Hayrettin turned to his experience for this one.

Dropping out of the side was Manny Parry, who was on the bench along with Harry Lee and Craig Braham-Barrett as the other changes from Torquay.

That saw Kris Twardek and Reece Hall-Johnson back in the line-up.

There was a good vocal support from the home terraces in the early minutes of the game, but it took a while to heat up on the pitch despite the spring sunshine.

The first threats came from Barrow, though, and Sam Beasant had to be alert in the Iron goal to turn away a smart shot through a crowd of players by Paul Turnbull.

There was obvious nervousness in the Iron defence as they made some hurried clearances and their play remained scrappy.

The visitors also went close in the 13th minute with a break after Ashton lost possession and Jordan Williams' shot had to be saved by Beasant with a smart stop at his near post.

It was a barrage on the home goal as the Iron just couldn’t get out of their own half as balls forward just travelled straight back at them.

However, they weathered the storm and started to take the play to the visitors and built pressure far more effectively at the other end of the pitch.

Jon Flatt, in the Barrow goal, wasn’t unduly troubled, but the intent was far better from the Iron with Twardek forcing the keeper into a stop after good industry from Hall-Johnson on the edge of the box.

The play was far more even, but Barrow were still a threat and went very close to grabbing an opener on 27 minutes.

A long ball over the top saw striker Akil Wright pounce but under pressure from Beasant, he dragged his shot just wide of the target as the hosts were given a reprieve.

Braintree’s defence started to live a bit more dangerously and they were thankful to the safe hands of Beasant once more on 34 minutes when a well-placed ball into the area picked out Wright, whose header was claimed by the Iron keeper.

The inability of both sets of attacking units to take the chances they did have meant it stayed goalless at the break.

It stayed tight in the opening part of the second half, but Braintree made a more positive start than they had in the first period, with Sam Corne sending an effort just wide of the target from the edge of the Barrow box.

In the end, it was on 65 minutes that Barrow substitute Byron Harrison broke the deadlock.

It was a scrappy goal that came as the ball found its way to Moussa Diara to the right of the Iron gola and his cross-cum-shot back across the face of the goal was bundled in by Harrison.

Barrow tails were suddenly up and there was a let-off for Braintree when Jordan Williams’ header glanced just past the post, but it wasn’t long before the Iron found themselves two down.

The hammer blow came in the 70th minute.

A ball forward saw Iron defender Jake Goodman unable to get it under control and Wright nabbed it off his toes before bursting forward and drilling a low shot past Beasant into the bottom corner.

Braintree knew exactly what the two goals meant to their chances and desperately tried to find a way back in.

They tried to press, but it was to no avail and apart from a few fleeting moments of danger, the visitors looked reasonably comfortable as they held on to their lead to leave the Iron looking for salvation in the final day.

Braintree Town: Sam Beasant, Sean Clohessy, Jerome Okimo, Jon Ashton, Jake Goodman, Sam Corne (Kyron Farrell 74), Chez Isaac, Kris Twardek (Craig Braham-Barrett 56), Reece Hall-Johnson (Lee Barnard 68), Jack Midson, Michael Cheek.

Subs not used: Manny Parry, Harry Lee.

Referee: David Rock.