BRAINTREE Town were made to pay for several wasted chances as they were beaten 2-0 by Southport at Cressing Road.
The Iron were guilty of several missed opportunities, especially from striker Jordan Cox, as Luke George and Amadou Bakayoko sealed all three points for the visitors.
Dan Sparkes made his return to the starting line-up after recovering from an ankle injury. However, Simeon Akinola was out of the squad with an ankle injury of his own, which he picked up in the 3-1 defeat to Gateshead.
Braintree started well and spent the majority of the first 15 minutes inside the Southport half with Sparkes and Ryan Peters delivering dangerous balls into the middle but unable to find the final product.
Jordan Cox had the best chance of the opening exchanges when Dan Walker clipped in a lovely ball to his striking partner. Cox was free in the middle of the box but could only guide his header into the roof of the Southport net.
Nick Hamann was then forced into a good save in the 23rd minute. David Fitzpatrick whipped in a dangerous free-kick which Luke Foster rose highest to meet and head downwards. The Iron stopper did well to get down to his left and tip the effort round the post.
The game evened itself with neither side really able to create a decent opportunity. Both teams lacked a little bit of quality in the final third in the first 35 minutes of the game.
Walker drove well with the ball from the halfway line in the 38th minute to get himself on to the edge of the Southport box. He fired in a left-footed shot but it went safely into the hands of David Raya Martin.
But then in the 42nd minute Cox missed a glorious chance to put the Iron into the lead. The ball bounced into the box from a James Mulley cross and fell to the striker on the six-yard line. With only the keeper to beat, Cox snatched at the ball with his left foot and dragged his effort wide of the post.
Five minutes into the second half Kenny Davis sent in a header goalwards from a Sparkes free-kick, but again it fell kindly to the Southport keeper.
The Iron started the second half the much brighter of the two teams, with Cox wasting another good chance. He met Sparkes' corner but could only glance his header over the bar.
Walker – still looking for his first Iron goal – turned in the box and fired in with his left foot, but once again Raya Martin saved well to his right.
But in the 69th minute the Iron were made to pay for their missed opportunities when the visitors took the lead. The ball fell to George on the edge of the box, who fired in his shot through a crowd of bodies and into the bottom corner past the despairing dive of Hamann.
With ten minutes to go Cox was guilty of missing another glorious chance to grab the equaliser. Walker got down the left and fired in a great cross to the near post. Cox got there first but only glanced his header wide of the back post.
And in the 84th minute the game was put beyond the Iron with Southport's second. Richard Brodie played the ball into substitute Bakayoko, who spun and shot, firing the ball past Hamann from close range.
Braintree Town: Hamann, Peters, Habergham, Brindle, Massey, Mulley, Davis, Isaac, Sparkes (Marks 68'), Walker, Cox (Case 85')
Subs not used: Smith, Pentney
Bookings: Massey (90')
Southport: Raya Martin, Colins, Foster, George, Brodie, Lynch, Joyce, Rutherford, Marsden (Bakayoko 46'), Fitzpatrick, Connor
Subs not used: Lloyd-Weston, Mitchell, Dyer, Smith,
Bookings: Foster (54'), Brodie (80'), George (90+4)
Goals: George (69'), Bakayoko (84')
Referee: Nigel Lugg
Attendance: 810
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