Braintree Pay The Penalty

Braintree Town 0-1 Brackley Town (National League)

I said that Carlisle United's win at the weekend was perhaps the biggest shock in the FA Cup on Saturday, but what I didn't consider was Brackley Town's win against Notts County on penalties, the Saints marching on in the cup after knocking out the League Two side following a 2-2 draw which was largely thanks to a late Callum Stewart leveller in the 96th minute from the spot.

Brackley next host Burton Albion in round two but attention draws back to league action, they'll be coming down off their mountain high win to take on a Braintree Town team who had very much a different kind of weekend in the cup.

The Iron were hammered 4-1 by Chelmsford City in the Essex derby, a game like at Brackley, shown live on TV, a match where they were comprehensively beaten by a side of a division below. Pressure is mounting on Manager Steve Pitt who I'm told is every week and every defeat nearing the sack, a loss tonight against opposition at home, in the bottom half of the table, will keep the pressure on.

Braintree are 21st and top the four relegation places in the division, it's a tough ask to compete with the big boys in the National League but with a similar budget, promoted this year, Brackley seem to be doing ok, despite a couple of cup wins in between though, they haven't won a league game in six.

I got home from Carlisle around 1:30am so slept in whilst passing dog walking duties on to my wife, a relaxing day of admin is followed by a 3pm exit, I'm on the A52 and down the A1 with the aim to get past Cambridge down the M11 and beat the traffic at Stansted, where I join the A120 which takes me all the way to Cressing Road.

The Venue

I've pulled up outside the Orange Tree pub for 6pm, dark skies it's bonfire night and fireworks are cracking off in the sky, loud bangs and flashing lights, excited families walking in groups to various events. There's one at the Rugby Club tonight which is just around the corner, the club saying 'parking might be an issue' but it seems there's plenty around here. I'm not expecting the biggest crowd.

My walk is short across the road into the 'stadium complex' down the Clockhouse Way where houses are flat roofed, white painted, there's people looking out of their apartment windows as the fireworks continue, the Brackley Town bus has already pulled in, as I walk through the blue gates and am pointed to the only turnstile tonight in use, where my name is down on the list.

I think it's still called the Rare Breed Meat Co. Stadium, I'm not entirely sure, the clubs official website reminds me of the one I did for my local amateur side in 1999 and isn't the easiest to work out? But the place itself stinks of retro era football, and that I really like. Unloved, messy, potholes and traffic cones, goal posts behind the bike shed, run down portacabins, the pitch itself is fluffy, unchanged perhaps since first hosting games in 1923, but for a few thousand cuts, Autumnal leaves have fallen to the pitch perimeter, there's cold weather sheets down to the side which look like they haven't been moved for years.

That said, the stadium has real quirk, an apexed roof terrace on half way, opposite the main seated stand, rectangular, box like, propped up by blue metal posts, each end open, the whole place is lined by trees. It's classic non league, as I sit down at the back where the press seats are lined there's metal flip down tables full of rust, opposite I get a real glare of the floodlights which light up the playing surface.

The Game

I'm expecting an 'after the lord mayors show' from Brackley who played a tough 120 minutes against decent league opposition at the weekend, whilst I'm intrigued to see whether Braintree provide 'a bounce' after their shambolic defeat to local rivals Chelmsford.

I get a bit of both as the two teams kick off, but Braintree in orange and blue halves have made a few changes, four in total and they don't really look well gelled, or oiled, gritty and game yes, but they lack cohesion and as a team it doesn't feel they have a collective dynamic.

Brackley in bright yellow are no better, I'm disappointed as they concede possession more than they keep it, both sides are as bad at holding on to the ball as each other as the only thing of real note is happening loudly, in the skies above.

The fireworks light up a dim half of football that is pretty much the worst I've seen this season. The home side look to have players capable of breaking on the counter-attack, they don't defend at all bad, but when Marshall-Miranda from midfield, or when Kyle Pinnington from right back, venture forward with the ball at their feet, nobody else dares commit, leaving big John Akinde the only forward target, he's not the quickest but at 36-years-old is being asked to do it all alone.

The Score

The away side are hardly any better. Scott Pollock in the 'ten role' is one they look to get on the ball, Jack Price playing 'quarterback' is trying to make things happen from deep, but even he finds touch more than he finds his friends, defensively dogged as I've seen before, I like Tyler Lyttle, Gareth Dean, Zak Lilley on an early booking, the 3-5-2 formation is never attractive, but in the second half they tweak it, and the game becomes more open.

I'm not even sure what they have done? Right wing back Michael Nottingham has moved to right wing (or at least he's stopped tracking back) whilst left wing back Riccardo Calder just stands over by the dugout on the far side. The three man defence still in place, but looks offset, unbalanced, until Gavin Cowan brings on two strikers, as Braintree opt for midfield re-enforcements, and suddenly the home team have more of the ball.

In Goran Babic and James Vennings the hosts have a bit more shape and cohesion, you feel they now know what they are doing as they start attacks by passing it out wide and getting balls into the box, there's a couple of sniffs for Akinde who's a nuisance, more prominent as they play to his strengths, using him as a number nine between the lines, rather than threading balls through for him to run on to.

I'm suddenly impressed, Braintree can get something, against a side who's not at it, perhaps, but Tyler Lyttle cracks a post from range out of nothing, Brackley aren't done yet, and as Matt Lowe races forward he's shoved inside the area, after the ball had already left his foot, the Referee has been finicky all night, he's not about to let that one go, a soft penalty indeed, dispatched by Shane Byrne.

The last fifteen minutes have Braintree push, Brackley retreat and deal with anything now coming into their box, the goal has provided them with uplift, sudden resilience and belief, they probably came for a point, it looks like now they'll take all three.

The home side end up with more bookings than chances created, six yellows, which tells the story of what the night was all about. An ugly desperate attempt at football. When it was played, it wasn't that bad, but for most of the evening, the only entertainment came from the fireworks up in the sky.

The Stars

Most were hidden by the gunpowder haze, but down below it was a night for digging in, when defenders would take their seven out of tens and be happier than those forward flick fancying playmakers who usually get the plaudits.

Gareth Dean, 35 years young, heading and kicking anything in his way, big John Akinde giving the Brackley back three some physical trouble, but they all stood up, Tyler Lyttle is one of those plucky no bullsh*t defenders who always seems to do ok.

I like what Jack Price 'attempted' to do in midfield, he got on the ball more than anyone on the night, Scotty Pollock ran around a bit, Matt Lowe actually got better, more effective as the night went on.

For Braintree, I was told to look out for Jacob Pinnington ahead of the match, a young right back who's athletic, quick, progressive and was actually one who had a couple of attempts from range, a player I like the look of, he and Marley Marshall-Miranda the two stand outs for me. I asked a scout who'd been watching Braintree all season on how Miranda had been doing, he said he's has been by far their best player.

Another player who impressed me was Goran Babic when he came on, he seemed to give Braintree a foothold in midfield, where they would keep possession much better in his presence, whilst Chay Cooper and Regan Clayton are young midfielders with potential, Goalkeeper Jack Thompson just 18 years old, They have John Terry's nephew at left back who did ok, whilst Terrell Works a Fulham loanee is apparently Braintree's top goalscorer, aged 20, he came on too late to offer more than just a cameo.

The Verdict

I'll be very surprised, regardless of whether or not they get a new manager, that Braintree Town have the tools this season to survive? A young inexperienced team reliant on a striker past his sell by date (I think John Akinde can flourish more in a mid table long ball side that actually plays to his strengths), It seems to have the ingredients mixed ready for relegation, and I think that's what will happen, unless they at least attempt make drastic changes, but it might take a few quid, and a few new players, as much as a new Manager's magic wand.

Brackley will be ok, they do the ugly stuff well, and they can nick a goal, with enough attacking threat from their forward players, midfield and defenders, they know how to defend and that's first and foremost, a good starting base for survival. Who's to say they won't beat Burton and reach round three of the cup too? A good year for the Saints will be survival and a cup run, which is probably what they'll achieve.

The Teams

Braintree Town: Jack Thompson, Jacob Pinnington, George Langston, Tommy Smith, Frankie Terry, Marley Marshall-Miranda, Regan Clayton (Terrell Works 84), Chay Cooper, Lewis Walker (Goran Babic 46), Elliott Thorpe (James Vennings 25), John Akinde.

Brackley Town: Jonny Maxted, Tyler Lyttle, Gareth Dean, Zak Lilley, Michael Nottingham (Danny Waldron 67), Jack Price, Shane Byrne, Riccardo Calder, Scott Pollock, Matt Lowe, Morgan Roberts (Callum Stewart 67).

7:45pm Kick Off. Wednesday 5th November 2025, Cressing Road, Braintree (att 732).