Braintree Town kicked off their pre-season campaign with a 1-0 win against Needham Market at Bloomfields. Inih Effiong scored the winning goal in the eighty-eighth minute, securing the victory for Braintree.
Manager Angelo Harrop was pleased with the result, emphasizing the importance of winning games and keeping clean sheets. He acknowledged that there is still work to be done in terms of fitness and player recruitment, especially as the team has recently moved up a level.
The match saw Braintree field two different XIs in each half, with some trialists getting a chance to showcase their skills. Harrop expressed pride in the team’s promotion-winning season but emphasized the need to bring in quality players to continue progressing.
Looking ahead, Braintree’s next friendly will be against Leiston at Victory Road on Tuesday at 7.45pm. The team will continue to fine-tune their tactics and evaluate player performances as they prepare for the upcoming season.
In the game, Needham Market lined up with Garnham, Dye, Smith, Hammond, K Morphew, D Morphew, Ingram, Chambers, Lay, Allen, and McGrath. Braintree Town’s first-half lineup included Trialist A, Trialist B, Trialist C, Odusanya, Fyfield, Trialist D, Backwell, Lambe, Trialist E, Trialist F, and Lisbie. In the second half, Braintree featured Trialist G, Trialist H, Clampin, Trialist I, Annesley, Langston, Barnes, Vennings, Effiong, Cooper, and Trialist J.
As the pre-season progresses, Braintree will continue to focus on building team chemistry, improving fitness levels, and integrating new players into the squad. The upcoming friendlies will provide valuable opportunities for the team to test themselves against different opponents and fine-tune their strategies before the start of the season.