IRON manager Alan Devonshire was left disappointed but not downhearted after seeing his side's recent mini winning run come to an abrupt end at the Miles Smith Stadium on Sunday after the promotion-chasing visitors Eastleigh scored four second-half goals to seal a 5-1 victory.
"Anyone seeing the final scoreline will think we were hammered but nothing could be further from the truth," he declared.
"They simply finished better than us. They had six goalscoring chances and scored five and we had just as many but didn't and, as the old saying goes, it's goals that change matches."
Devonshire went on: "We equalised on half-time and in the first five minutes of the restart were pressuring them in their area and, to be fair, their keeper [Ross Flitney] pulls off a remarkable double save from Simeon Akinola and the rebound from Dan Sparkes.
"So it could well have been 2-1 to us but they immediately broke away down the other end and their striker [James Constable] drives the ball in from the right and it takes a wicked deflection and ends up in the back of the net.
"A minute later they counterattack and our defender Sam Habergham makes a mistake with a poor headed back-pass and Constable is on goal and we're 3-1 down and the game is effectively over."
Devonshire explained: "We know they are a quality side full of experienced Football League players and they have a big budget to attract such class players and we don't so it's as easy as that. They punished us when they attacked but their keeper certainly kept them in the game even in the first half when we had more clearcut chances than them."
Constable, the 30-year-old former Oxford United striker, had one of those days every forward likes where every shot he hit conjured up either went in or, as in the first half, grazed the Iron bar.
The other difference on the day was in midfield, where the Iron lacked their usual penetration and where ex-Iron midfielder Jai Reason had a field day.
"Yes, the scoreline perhaps flatters us on the day but I thought we played well and took our chances where my old side had chances and we were more clinical in front of goal and that's where it really counted," claimed Reason.
"I still think Braintree are a good side and will continue to hold their own in the league and on another day things could have been much different."
In a fairly even first half the Iron almost took the lead on 20 minutes when Sparkes jinked his way down to the byeline and, with keeper Flitney beaten, the ball was bicycled-kicked off the goal line by defender Ben Strevens.
After Filtney then denied two more Iron goal chances, the visitors broke away and the ball rebounded kindly to Craig Stanley, who sent a first-time curling right-foot shot into the top corner. of the net. giving home keeper Nic Hamann no chance.
A minute before the break all the Iron pressure paid off when the tricky Akinola, who caused problems for the visiting defence all afternoon with his pace, was hauled down in the area by Will Evans and Mitch Brundle, in for the injured Ryan Peters, scored from the penalty spot.
In the second minute of stoppage time, the Iron should have scored after Akinola had worked his way past three defenders into the area, slid the ball across to Marks and the Iron striker was desperately unlucky to see his close-range shot come back off the foot of the postwith Flitney beaten.
The second half started well for the Iron but, having had early goal efforts beaten away by defenders and that double save from Flitney, the visitors skipped up the other end and on 54 minutes Constable netted with a deflected shot. A minute later he was on hand to punish Habergham's mistake and make it 3-1.
The Iron rallied and a double substitution on 62 minutes, with fit-again skipper Kenny Davis and Jordan Cox coming on for Chez Isaac and Sean Marks respectively, gave some fresh impetus but the visitors were on a roll.
Constable completed his hat-trick on 77 minutes with another first-time shot with the Iron caught again on the counter attack, while two minutes previously Jack Midson had outjumped the unfortunate Habergham at the far post.
In the final five minutes, even though the result by then was beyond doubt Matt Paine, James Mulley and Remi Clerima all saw their goalbound efforts cleared away by Flitney who was clearly the man of the match on the day.
Devonshire said: "It wasn't a poor performance despite the scoreline and I went into our dressing room afterwards and told the lads that - I didn't ruck them because they did their best but they know we weren't clinical in front of goal like Eastleigh were. And their keeper certainly kept them in the game.
"But we will dust ourselves down and look to do better against Dartford on New Year's Day," he said. "I've had to swop players around to try and keep them fresh and I already know what my side will be against Dartford."
Braintree Town: Hamann; Brundle, Clerima, Massey, Habergham; Mulley, Isaac (Davis 62), Paine, Sparkes; Akinola (Strutton 76), Marks (Cox 62). Subs not used: Smith, Pentney. Att: 874.
