Braintree not at their best but take the points from controversial clash (From Gazette)

Braintree not at their best but take the points from controversial clash

9:40pm Saturday 28th January 2012 in General By Simon Spurgeon

Braintree not at their best but take the points from controversial clash

Braintree Town boss Alan Devonshire admitted his team hadn’t been at their best in his team’s controversial 1-0 Blue Square Bet Premier win against Barrow AFC.

The Bluebirds were left seething after two major decisions in the game by referee Robert Merchant.

The first saw Andy Cook dismissed for violent conduct in the third minute, despite vehemently protesting his innocence, after an arm was apparently swung into the face of Iron defender Dean Wells.

The other flashpoint came when the visitors claimed the ball had gone out of play before Wells hooked it back for Aswad Thomas to prod home for Braintree’s goal.

Merchant was unmoved as the goal stood and the game ended as it had begun – with a red card – with Barrow’s Joe Jackson sent off for a push on Wells in stoppage-time.

Devonshire admitted it hadn’t been a good display by his team, but he was delighted to get another three points towards the 50 target he feels will guarantee survival.

He said: “It wasn’t the greatest game to watch and we didn’t play well.

“We looked lethargic, but we tried to get through to them after the sending off that they needed to be patient, get the ball wide and round the back of them.

“But for 50 minutes, we just kept trying to go through the middle where their strengths were.

“We had to try and use the extra man.

“We made a couple of substitutions to try to get the ball out wide and get some better crosses in and I thought we were the only side going to win it in the second half.

“Nathan (McDonald) pulled off a great save, but that was their only shot on target.

“It wasn’t the best game, but we got three points and we’re now on 42.”

The Iron boss said he didn’t see the incident that led to Cook’s early sending off.

He added: “I didn’t see it and I think the only person who did was the linesman.

“He was the one who gave it.

“A lot of the boys were saying Deano (Wells) got elbowed, but I didn’t see it.

“The linesman saw it and we have to take his word on it.”

Meanwhile, Devonshire said the second-half appearance of Andy Yiadom would be the 20-year-old midfielder’s last in Braintree colours.

Yiadom is set to complete a move to League Two side Barnet before the January transfer window shuts on Tuesday.

See the paper this week for all the latest news from the Iron as the January transfer window shuts and exclusive views from the Amlin Stadium.