By David Ward

BRAINTREE TOWN 3

HAVANT AND WATERLOOVILLE 4

Vanarama National League

THERE was a dramatic end to this entertaining game at Cressing Road on Saturday which saw the visitors snatch two goals in added-on stoppage time to secure a win - leaving Iron boss Brad Quinton fuming with his players.

The Iron looked all set for their first league win of the season, leading 3-2 going into the final minutes of normal time.

However, again they paid the penalty for sloppy play, giving the ball away too easily, plus some abject defending that allowed the points to slip away.

With 94 minutes on the clock, the visitors’ Nicke Kabamba headed home unmarked and in the 96th minute substitute Alfie Cosgrove was also left unmarked to head home the winner to complete their comeback, both resulting through dreadful home defending.

Promising changes to his playing personnel, Quinton said: “I'm bitterly disappointed to concede so late on and with their two added-time goals which could easily have been avoided. I simply cannot accept that.

“Overall, though, I think we were still poor, despite coming back and taking the lead because really we have no game management at the present out there and it showed with how those two late goals were conceded."

He added: “There will certainly be some changes this coming week because we need to improve straight away and we will have new faces in the squad - I can‘t accept a repeat of this late, late show.

“We were controlling the game late on, leading and then two moments of absolute madness cost us and we can ill-afford to see a repeat and there will be changes.”

There was drama even before the kick off when left-back Pat Webber was injured in the warm up which meant a recall for Josh Hill, who originally wasn’t even in the match day squad.

The Iron then had the worse possible start, conceding a goal within the first minute when the ball was lost on the halfway line and full-back Rory Williams galloped through down the left unhindered to fire the ball past home keeper Ben Killip.

The home side, out-muscled for much of the first half, eventually forced themselves back into the game on 31 minutes when Reece Grant headed home and on 38 minutes from a Mohammed Bettamer header sent back across the penalty box.

The Iron then took the lead when Bettamer beautifully drove a 30-yard free-kick into the top corner of the net to give his side the lead.

But right on half-time, with the home defence again at sixes and sevens, Jordan Rose was left unmarked in the box to head the ball into the net when really the defence had time to have cleared the danger.

The Iron improved in the second half and most of the attacking play and they took the lead on 72 minutes when young Grant intercepted a backpass and lobbed keeper Ryan Young to give the home side the lead.

With the Iron gleefully looking forward to a win, referee Sam Purkiss somehow found six minutes of added time and it was left to the visitors to take full advantage by grabbing those two late goals for a win.