BULLS SHARE POINTS IN POOR GAME

A game lacking major incidents ended in an almost inevitable goalless draw at Edgar Street this afternoon. Although a point each was a fair outcome, popular belief was that both sides were somewhat fortunate to score nil. Indeed it was a pity that on Non- League Day, the rival attraction of watching paint dry might have been preferable to witnessing the paucity of entertainment served up by two poor sides.


Harry Pell’s crunching tackle allowed him to set up Ryan Bowman for a shot which was blocked. Phil Marsh latched on to a through ball as a static Braintree rearguard watched on, and his cutback found Sam Clucas who blazed his shot towards the former cattle market. For the visitors, the tricky James Mulley passed for Dan Holman, and Stefan Stam had to make a smart block. Bradley Quinton’s hanging corner kick was claimed with some confidence by James Bittner in the Bulls goal. Kenny Davis won a corner, and this time Quinton chose to drive it across the six yard box. Sean Marks got there first but the Town striker planted his header wide of the mark.

Will Evans Helping Out In Defence - Pictures taken by Andy Compton of the Hereford Journal

Marsh did well to charge down an attempted clearance, with the visitors suggesting that a hand was involved, and the ball ran loose for Bowman who held it up before inviting Clucas to send over a centre, but Bulls were notable by their absence in the danger zone. Maybe we should learn from the Premiership and paint those helpful diagonal lines to show our lads where to go. Pell then passed to Will Evans, whose cross sailed far too deep for comfort. Holman and Quinton played Mulley in, but his shot was similarly much too elevated. Bowman harried Massey into conceding a corner. Clucas’s first attempt was cleared, but Marsh retrieved the ball, and set up a chance for Clucas, which, once more, failed to trouble Danny Naisbitt, between the sticks for the visitors.


HT: HUFC 0 BRAINTREE TOWN 0


The second half continued in much the same vein as the first, with both sides offering little in the way of creative attacking play. Andy Gallinah made a terrific tackle on half-way and went on a determined run to win a corner. Bowman was leant on by Massey, but the resulting free kick was wasted as Gallinah sent a long ball straight into Naisbitt’s arms. The introduction of Brian Smikle and new boy Kyle Perry did briefly give the Bulls some impetus. Jimmy McQuilkin also joined the fray, and almost immediately had a shot which was parried away by Naisbitt.

Naisbitt Punching The Ball Away From Chris Todd

Bowman was grounded, but had the vision to flick the ball on for Smikle whilst lying on the deck, and the shot needed a hasty block. Then Smikle almost managed to reach a bouncing ball before the keeper, and seconds later fired a loose ball into the net, only to be denied by a linesman’s offside flag.

Ryan Bowman , Kyle Perry and Brian Smikle - But All In Vain

After this ten minute period of promise, the Bulls reverted to type, with too many misplaced passes, and a worrying lack of support for the man in possession . This eventually led to a lack of forward momentum, and an over-reliance on unproductive long balls.

Braintree brought precious little to the table, although they could count themselves unfortunate when Mulley’s pass was headed onto a post by Marks, the ball rebounding into a relieved Bittner’s gloves. One or two of their number made miraculous recoveries from seemingly life-threatening injuries, and students of such matters were delighted with the arrival from the subs’ bench of one Daniel Sparkes to join Sean Marks in a well-respected combination. Clucas tried his luck with a late, long-distance free kick which Naisbitt pushed over the bar, and the match petered out into a tame stalemate.


FT: HUFC 0 BRAINTREE TOWN 0


Attendance: 1537, (including 35 hardy souls from Stansted and district.)


HUFC: Bittner, Gallinah, Stam, Todd, Heath, Pell, Clist (Perry 56), Evans (McQuilkin 69), Clucas, Marsh (Smikle 56), Bowman.


BRAINTREE TOWN: Naisbitt, Haberghan (Sparkes 74), Paine, Massey, O’Connor, Quinton, Symons, Davis, Mulley, Marks, Holman (Sheppard 85).