Braintree Town 2 Hyde 2
BRAINTREE Town salvaged a draw at the death, thanks to Bradley Quinton’s injury-time equalsier against 10-man Hyde, in a Blue Square Premier opener at the Amlin Stadium this afternoon.
Midfielder Quinton steered home Danny Sparkes’ 91st minute corner to snatch a point which the Iron hardly deserved.
The Iron were very poor in the first half, conceding a brace of goals to Hyde striker Scott Spencer.
The newly-promoted visitors took the lead in the 23rd minute, when Phil Jevons’ long-range free-kick was deflected home off Spencer, wrong-footing keeper Danny Naisbitt.
Naisbitt was one of five Braintree players making their competitive debuts for Iron in the starting line-up.
Hyde doubled their tally in the 37th minute.
The dangerous Spencer was chopped down in the box by right-back Ryan Peters, enabling Spencer to pick himself up and covert the ensuing penalty.
There was a blow of Hyde, even before the second half started, when their centre-half Andrew Pearson was sent off following an altercation in the tunnel as the two teams went off for half-time.
Kane Sheppard, on as a second-half substitute, reduced the deficit from close in on 48 minutes.
But Iron looked set for defeat, until veteran Quinton popped up in injury time with the crucial equaliser.
BRAINTREE: Naisbitt, Peters, Paine, Wells, Habergham, McNish (sub Sheppard, 46), Davis, Symons (sub Quinton, 75), Sparkes, Dawkin (sub Mulley, 71), Marks.
Attendance: 598
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