Braintree Town staged a dramatic late comeback to secure a 3-3 draw away to Dover Athletic in a National League South encounter on Bank Holiday Monday. Manager Steve Pitt told reporters he was disappointed not to win after his team fought back from a two-goal deficit at the Crabble.
Dover Athletic took the lead in the 26th minute through former Colchester United youngster Decarrey Sheriff. Braintree equalised with an Alfie Matthews penalty, but Sheriff scored again just before half-time to restore the home side's advantage. Luke Baptiste added a third goal for Dover after the break, putting the Iron in a deep hole. Michael Olarewaju pulled one back on his debut for Braintree, setting up a tense finale. Louis Johnson then scored a last-gasp equaliser to complete the remarkable recovery and snatch a point.
Pitt was clear about his feelings after the final whistle. "I'm actually disappointed we didn't win the game," the Braintree boss said. He expressed frustration with the manner of the three goals his side conceded, describing the defensive work as poor. Pitt felt his team were comfortable before conceding from one straight ball just before the interval, which left them 2-1 down at half-time. After falling 3-1 behind, changes were made. "I thought the boys that came on absolutely changed the game," Pitt stated, crediting his substitutes for altering the momentum. He believed Braintree would win at the death and said the team reacted well to the setback, deserving their late equaliser.
The point comes as Braintree Town build towards a new campaign. The club finished 23rd in the England National League last season, recording 36 points from 46 games with a record of eight wins, twelve draws, and twenty-six losses. Their recent form at the end of that campaign was LLLDL. They scored 38 goals but conceded 76, leaving them with a -38 goal difference and 72 points behind champions York. The Iron, founded in 1898 and supported by the Iron Army, now look ahead to their next fixture.
Attention immediately turns to the next match. Braintree are scheduled to host Farnborough at Cressing Road in a 3pm kickoff. Following that, their next fixture is at home to Truro City on October 10th. Truro currently sit 24th in the table, making it an important early-season encounter. The club will hope to build on the spirit shown in this comeback as they prepare for the challenges ahead. Fans can track the team's progress and check the latest standings throughout the season.
