Braintree Town 1-1 Bromley

In a game of two distinctive halves, Bromley were quite simply awful in the first 45 minutes.

But a vast improvement following the interval saw the visitors have the better of the exchanges and Bromley looked the most likely team to secure the points.

On a very heavy pitch, which made it difficult for both teams, the bounce of the ball was uneven. Braintree had all the play and Jerrome Sobers denied Reece Harris with a timely block after 10 minutes.

George Purcell had his shot on the turn saved by Bromley’s keeper underneath the crossbar before a 15th minute cross from the left deceived both defenders and attackers to run out of play on the far side.

The visitors mounted their first attack on 20 minutes when Richard Butler played Luke I’Anson in on goal but the midfielder’s poor shot went well wide of the post.

Bromley opened the scoring one minute later, although it was a Braintree player who will be credited with the goal.

A quick break from defence saw Ryan Hall clear on the left and his cross was sliced past the Braintree keeper, who had left his goal to try and gather the cross, by Mark Jones under a challenge from Butler.

Braintree had a golden opportunity to level the scores in the 29th minute when they were awarded a penalty kick.

After Rob Gillman had slipped over, the ball was crossed to the far post where Sobers was adjudged to have fouled Purcell.

The centre forward got up to take the spot kick but Gareth Williams, diving to his right, saved the penalty with his legs and Sean Marks fired the loose ball over the bar.

Braintree did equalise on 34 minutes when Matt Game, completely unmarked, slotted home Jacob Mingle’s cross from 10 yards out.

The home side might have gone in front when Sobers headed off the line straight to Marks following a goalmouth scramble, but he missed his kick completely before Williams saved Mingle’s follow up shot.

Marks shot over the bar from a good position four minutes later after Harris’s deep cross to the far post.

Aaron Fray headed Marks’ close range header from an inswinging corner off the line two minutes before the break.

Phil Ruggles replaced Nicky Greene at half-time and some strong words from manager Mark Goldberg had the desired effect as Bromley once again looked like a football side.

Steve Ferguson’s long throw in was back headed by I’Anson, which forced ex-Bromley keeper Craig Holloway to make the save underneath the junction of the post and crossbar.

Holloway just got his fingertips to the ball to deny Ferguson seven minutes later as Bromley again went close.

Braintree hit back and Purcell sent a rising shot over the bar after Williams had come for a corner and missed, before Brad Quinton’s 25-yard shot was saved at the second attempt by the Bromley keeper.

Bromley might have edged in front on 83 minutes when Hall passed inside the fullback for Ferguson to cut inside, but his poorly executed shot was wide of the post.

A flowing movement from defence to attack ended with Ruggles cracking a first time volley against the woodwork in the 90th minute with Holloway stranded in the centre of his goal.

Braintree might have snatched victory in stoppage time, which perhaps their first half display deserved, when they too hit the upright with a header from a rightwing corner.

Bromley: Williams, Green (Ruggles 46), Fray, Corneille, Sobers, Gillman, Ferguson (Farrar 90), Ibrahima, Butler (Carew 75), Hall, I’Anson. Subs not used: Henriques, Daly. Att: 578.