After taking the lead within a minute of the kick-off on Saturday, Braintree were always the more likely winners although they could never be quite sure until a late flurry gave the scoreline a more realistic look.

Another above-average Cressing Road crowd turned out for the opening fixture of the new year and, in ideal conditions, the fans were treated to some excellent entertainment.

Despite being without regulars Gary Bennett, Bobby Mayes, Peter Cawley and Ian Gedny plus fringe players Betson and Knight, Braintree were still able to field a strong-looking side.

An early goal gave them just the boost they needed following a couple of disappointing results over the Christmas period.

Gaining possession in midfield, Gary Collins, who is soon off to Australia, sent a perfectly measured crossfield pass out to Russell Tanner who made ground up the left before scoring with an accurate lob over the goalkeeper and into the far corner of the net.

It was a classically executed goal and one which set the pattern for a superb first half display that saw Braintree turn on some delightful one touch football with some of the younger players like Leon Bell, Stef Kendall and Scott Forbes all benefiting from the inspirational play of Simon Milton.

It was good to watch such attractive approach work which did not gain the reward it deserved and, with a gritty Staines defence offering stout resistance, the half-time break arrived without addition to the score despite almost continual Iron pressure.

In his 301st senior game for the club, Paul Catley saw hardly any of the action, so little had Staines managed to make any impression to the game so far, but in the second half more was seen of the visitors' attack although little came of what chances they had.

It was still Braintree mainly calling the tune but that second goal still eluded them and the three points could never be taken for granted until, finally, the breakthrough came in the 78th minute.

A cross from Milton was picked up by Terry Rayner whose shot was partially blocked by goalkeeper Hunt and Stef Kendall immediately pounced on the rebound to ram the ball home.

A few minutes later Kendall was on target again, this time running onto Smith's slide rule pass down the middle thus illustrating the promising potential of the young striker.

By now Staines were being completely demolished and Milton again was the supplier when Forbes jinked his way through the visitors' defence to claim Irons fourth goal and thus complete a satisfactory result.

All in all, it was an encouraging start for the new year for Braintree with a good collective overall performance and if one had to choose one player as man-of-the- match it would probably have been the ever consistent Lee Hunter.

Braintree Town: Catley, Hunter, Tanner, Collins, Bishop, Milton, Bell, Rayner, Kendall, Smith and Forbes. Substitutes: Vincent and Bailey.

Forthcoming fixtures: Saturday January 9 v Barton Rovers (away) Ryman League (kick-off 3pm) and Tuesday January 12 v Stansted (away) Eastern Floodlight Competition (k.o 7.30pm).

Keeping watch . . . Braintree Town's Gary Collins (right) shrugs off the challenge of a Staines Town player in Saturday's Ryman League Division One match at Cressing Road.

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