Essex Senior Cup Semi-final

CHELMSFORD CITY 0 BRAINTREE TOWN 1

jOHN CHUBB at the Melbourne Community Stadium

@JohnCphoenixfm

Braintree Town progressed to the Essex Senior Cup final on Monday night, after a first half goal from Matt Rush proved enough to knock out their hosts and local rivals Chelmsford City.

With both clubs jostling for a National League South play-off spot, this was always likely to be a keenly contested encounter and the first real chance fell to Chelmsford in the sixth minute, when a Tom Blackwell cross from the right found the head of Simeon Jackson in the box, but his effort was saved by Braintree goalkeeper Jack Sims.

With 12 minutes gone the home side won a free kick,. following a handball and Khale Da Costa’s strike was only narrowly wide of the target.

Then after 20 minutes Blackwell went close for the Clarets when he attempted to round Sims, but he was flagged for offside.

Blackwell – arguably Chelmsford’s best player on the night – had a further chance when Braintree and former Southend United captain John White handled outside the area, and took the resulting free kick which only just missed the top corner of the net.

But it was the visitors who took the lead in the 23rd minute when – against the run of play – ex-Claret Rush was presented with an opportunity which he fired past City keeper Jacob Marsden and it was 1-0 to the Iron, much to the delight of the sizeable away following.

Just after the half hour mark a long ball from White found its way to centre forward Joseph Boachie, who fired his shot wide but it was his side that led 1-0 at the break.

With almost ten minutes of the second half gone Chelmsford appeared to have a reasonable case for a penalty when Blackwell went down in the box, but referee Lloyd Wood was having none of it and waved play on – one of a number of questionable decisions made during the evening.

Shortly afterwards, the lively Blackwell had a great chance to equalise from a header that only just went wide, following an excellent cross from the right flank by Jazzi Barnum-Bobb.

But Barnum-Bobb nearly scored a calamitous own goal with 68 minutes on the clock, when his stray back pass headed towards his own net and was only just cleared off the line by Marsden.

With 15 minutes left City came as close as they had to an equaliser in the second half, when a Kai Yearn cross was met by Clarets skipper Jackson, whose header was narrowly wide to the right of Sims.

Some acts of gamesmanship by the Iron were partly responsible for the six minutes of injury time added by referee Wood, and when the Clarets won a corner in the 93rd minute keeper Marsden – who had ventured up the field – headed not far over opposite number Sims.

But Braintree held on, and will face another fellow National League South outfit Concord Rangers – who beat Hornchurch in the other semi-final on Tuesday night – in the final to be played at Colchester United’s Community Stadium on Tuesday 21st March.

Chelmsford were let down by their failure to take the game to a side they should have been capable of at least matching, and their inability to properly test Iron keeper Sims all night.

Chelmsford City (Manager: Robbie Simpson): Jacob Marsden, Cameron James, Jazzi Barnum-Bobb, Liam Trotter, Kai Yearn, Simeon Jackson (c), Tom Blackwell, Khale Da Costa (Jamie Yila 63), Tyreke Johnson, Reece Grant (Callum Jones 37), Ernaldo Krasniqi (Freddie Hockey 85).

Braintree Town (Manager: Angelo Harrop): Jack Sims, Leon Davies, Kyron Farrell, Chris Regis, John White (c), Kyran Clements, Matt Rush (Lamar Reynolds 78), Alfie Payne, Joseph Boachie (Alfie Pavey 63), Alfie Matthews (Brandon Nikki 63, Baris Altintop.

Referee: Lloyd Wood

Attendance: 943