Get the lowdown on our next opponents: Braintree Town.

The Opposition

Braintree Town make the trip from Essex looking to make it two wins in a row, and have the opportunity to leapfrog Sutton in a crucial clash within the relegation battle, while the U’s will be aiming to avoid dropping back into the bottom four at all costs.

Having suffered the blow of losing the Lisbie brothers in the summer, two players who contributed a crucial role in their survival last term, the Iron have largely struggled to fill the void, and have scored the least amount of goals so far this season with 21, with top scorer Tom Blackwell (5) appearing just nine times due to injury, while the likes of Chay Cooper (4), Lewis Walker (4), John Akinde (2), Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (2) and Sahid Kamara (2) have all contributed a minor amount in attack.

In addition, the likes of Terrell Works and Frankie Terry, together with Marley Marshall-Miranda, have all departed Cressing Road during the campaign after becoming important members of Steve Pitt’s team, the former two seeing their brief loan spells come to an end, while the latter opted to join Boreham Wood on a permanent basis; Works had notably scored four goals in as many games during the start of his time in Essex, leaving a gaping hole in attack upon his departure.

As such, Braintree have relied upon their backline to keep goals out and by extension, keep them afloat within the National League, currently sitting inside the bottom four on goal difference, but having conceded the fourth least number of goals in the entire bottom half.

Captain George Langston has appeared more times than anyone else this season at the heart of defence (34), while James Vennings and Goran Babić have been regular figures in the centre of the park, along with the additions of Aidan Francis-Clarke and Jacob Pinnington from Luton Town adding quality on the right side of defence as well, together with former Ipswich Town defender and New Zealand international Tommy Smith arriving to add a wealth of experience and expertise within the ranks. Furthermore, Mason Terry has been a welcome addition on loan from West Ham United, playing a key role in between the sticks and even adding his name to the scoresheet in the Iron’s National League Cup Quarter-Final against Truro City, scoring a dramatic goal that sent the game to penalties.

On this subject, Braintree’s exit from the competition has left them unable to match last season’s run to the last four, which came to an end at the hands of Sutton, and has given them the single focus of securing survival for a third successive year.

Having won promotion under former boss and current Chelmsford City Head Coach Angelo Harrop in 2023, beating Chris Agutter’s future club Worthing in the play-off final, the Iron have gone on to maintain their status for two seasons after a 17th place finish, and should they achieve survival again, they would secure their second longest ever stint in the fifth tier; their best being a five-year stay between 2012 and 2017.

Despite inconsistent form, which has seen them win just twice since the end of November, victory over Eastleigh last time out will have brought confidence, and while they were unable to maintain momentum with last weekend’s clash with Gateshead being postponed, they will be on the hunt for successive wins for the first time this season; only this time it would see them jump out of the relegation zone.

The Manager

Steve Pitt

Experienced manager Steve Pitt is the man in charge at Cressing Road, having replaced Angelo Harrop in the Braintree dugout after the latter was dismissed in December 2024.

Pitt had previously taken on management roles at FC Clacton and Leiston either side of a brief stint as assistant to Steve Castle at Bishop’s Stortford. Following his departure from Leiston, Pitt nearly spent the next decade as a Sporting Director, beginning at Heybridge Swifts before spending four years at Chelmsford City, which preceded a stint at Billericay Town.

Pitt later returned to the dugout as assistant to Harrop at Braintree in 2022, and remained in the role for almost two years before departing at the end of 2023. However, he returned to management – along with a return to Cressing Road – when he was named as Harrop’s successor in the hotseat in Essex, and guided the Iron away from the drop zone last season with a respectable 17th place finish, before embarking on his first full campaign in charge this term.

One to Watch

Mason Terry

Joining West Ham as a nine-year-old after being scouted playing for Sunday side Essex Allstars, goalkeeper Mason Terry is from nearby Canvey, with the tall shot-stopper working his way up the age groups representing the Hammers with pride, including, as an U15s player, following the U18s training programme to keep himself fit during the initial coronavirus (COVID-19) nationwide lockdown.

A starter in all six FA Youth Cup matches, Terry conceded just six goals in the tournament, as the young Hammers claimed a fourth Youth Cup trophy in the Club’s history. As such, the shot-stopper was rewarded for his fine form with a professional contract ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Spending the 2023/24 season on loan at Concord Rangers, Terry quickly became a fan favourite at his local Canvey Island club. Despite their relegation, Terry was a standout performer earning him Supporters’ Player of the Season.

During the 2024/25 season, Terry made the step up to National League South, signing for newly promoted Hornchurch on a season-long loan. The young shot stopper impressed once again, making a total of 53 appearances, keeping 17 clean sheets. His impressive performances earned him the Supporters’ Player of the Season award once again, 12 months after picking up the same prize at Concord.

In 2025/26, Terry moved up the football pyramid to the National League, joining Essex outfit Braintree Town on loan, and notably scored his first professional goal at the end of January, scrambling the ball home to rescue a 1-1 draw in the Iron’s National League Cup Quarter-Final against Truro City, though they fell to defeat on penalties in the end.

Recent Form

Braintree Town 2-1 Eastleigh

Truro City 1-1 Braintree Town

York City 5-0 Braintree Town

Braintree Town 0-3 Boreham Wood

Braintree Town 0-0 Boston United

Yeovil Town 3-1 Braintree Town

Last Time Out

The Iron finally broke their goalscoring hoo-doo and recorded a very welcome three points with a 2-1 victory over visitors Eastleigh at the Rare Breed Meat Co. Stadium.

The Hampshire club were the first to have the ball in the back of the next when Luis Fernandez reacted quickly to Mason Terry’s fine save from a Kieron Evans free-kick to steer the ball home from close range, but the effort was ruled out for offside, with Braintee taking the lead shortly before the break when Lewis Walker broke through the heart of the Eastleigh defence, seeing his shot cleared off the line before Chay Cooper followed up to drive the ball home for 1-0.

Eastleigh levelled ten minutes after the break with former Iron Aaron Blair finally finishing off a period of pressure, but Steve Pitt’s side responded and netted the winner with 16 minutes to go. Substitute Ryan Clampin’s cross from the left was played back across the Eastleigh defence for the unmarked Lewis Walker who steered the ball from the edge of the six-yard box.

Photo Credit: Jon Weaver // Braintree Town Football Club