DRAGONS FIRE TO THE TOP!
ADAM MCDONNELL found one moment of quality in the midst of an uninspiring afternoon to condemn Braintree Town to the first league defeat of Hakan Hayrettin’s second tenure – but their performance helped reaffirm his desire to return to his Iron “family” on a full-time basis.
McDonnell’s superb 25-yard free-kick stole the points, just when it appeared as though Aldershot Town would suffer a second frustrating home draw in five days, but it was the visitors who impressed with a display full of commitment, organisation and a dash of enterprise.
“Of course we want the job,” asserted Hayrettin, who saw his team create the best three chances of the match. “We’ve worked hard to try to turn things around, which we think we may have, but now it’s up to people to decide what they want to do. We can sit down and talk about it.
“Once you have an affiliation with a club, it becomes a family environment – sometimes you end up seeing the boys more than you see your missus!
“Nine tenths of the law is belief, and if you believe you can do something, you can,” he suggested of the impact he has had in the dressing room.
“We’ve given the players a bit of structure and discipline and desire, and they’ve shown us that belief.”
The Shots enjoyed greater possession through a somewhat subdued first-half, but it was the visitors, particularly in the guise of Justin Amaluzor, who fashioned the two best chances. Twice Amaluzor burst down the right with strength and pace, but, on 23 minutes, Virgil Gomis’ ten-yard drive was headed off the line by Gabe Osho. That was followed in first-half stoppage time by Amaluzor’s run and Reece Grant’s snapshot on the turn, which flashed just wide. McDonnell had three efforts from distance in the opening period but the Shots struggled for fluency and accuracy, and failed to muster an opportunity as good as Gomis’ angled drive on 51 minutes, which was repelled by Will Mannion’s left foot. Shamir Fenelon’s shot was well blocked by the diving Joseph Ellul and it soon became clear that, despite pushing McDonnell and May further forward, it would take one moment of magic to break the deadlock. Osho drew what Hayrettin claimed was a soft foul, and McDonnell’s curling shot flew over the wall and past a static Ashlee Jones. “Braintree will claim that they deserved a point and we couldn’t argue with that,” admitted Shots assistant manager James Rowe.