Braintree Town dumped out of the FA Trophy at The Hamlet

Braintree Town were dumped out of the FA Trophy by clinical Dulwich Hamlet in a stirring FA Trophy third round replay at Champion Hill in South London tonight.

A penalty by Ashley Carew, a comical own goal by Manny Parry, a deadly finish by Gavin Tomlin and a cracking fourth from Sanchez Watt condemned The Iron to defeat, despite headed replies by Jerome Okimo and Parry.

Substitute Jacob Erskine completed the rout by bundling home a fifth in injury time.

To add salt to the wounds, Braintree ended the match with 10 men, ex-Colchester United full-back Sean Clohessy sent off for a professional foul on 75 minutes.

The Hamlet had ended the first match on top, in a goalless draw at Cressing Road last Saturday, and they were in the driving seat again during the opening minutes, with Iron getting their bodies in the way of goal-bound shots by defender Matt Drage and ex-Southend striker Gavin Tomlin.

Iron weathered this early storm and midfielder Harry Lee was only a foot wide with a well-struck 20-yard shot on six minutes.

Kris Twardek sent ex-Colchester full-back Sean Clohessy sprinting down the right flank with a slick pass in the 20th minute. Clohessy aimed for Jack Midson at the near post, but the skipper’s first-time effort was deflected behind for a corner.

But it was the Ryman Premier hosts who took the lead, via Carew’s lethal penalty in the 28th minute.

Tomlin was chopped down by Iron defender Jake Goodman, and Carew made no mistake from the spot, the ex-Barnet midfielder thumping home into the centre of the net.

However, 10 minutes later and Braintree were level, thanks to Okimo’s pinpoint header at the near post from a corner.

That equaliser took the sting out of The Hamlet for the rest of the first half, and Reece Hall-Johnson tested Preston Edwards with an angled drive that was deflected into the keeper’s arms on 42 minutes.

However, the South Londoners were back in control, early in the second period, and they regained the lead through Parry’s bizarre own goal in the 50th minute.

Keeper Beasant’s attempted clearance hit Parry and flew into an unguarded net from 20 yards out.

It was nearly 3-1 just before the hour mark as Dulwich left-back Nathan Green rattled a post with a close-range shot.

But the Hamlet did net their third, in the 63rd minute, Tomlin bursting clear on a swift breakaway to ram home past Beasant.

Clohessy was sent off for a professional foul, before Ming added a long-range fourth from 30 yards out in the 78th minute and Erskine netted a fifth in the 95th minute.

Squads

DULWICH HAMLET: Edwards, Weatherstone (sub Erskine, 82), Green, Kargbo, Drage, Chambers, Ming, Beaney (sub Taylor, 73), Tomlin (sub Mohamed, 820, Carew, Sekajja. Unused subs: James, Awokere.

BRAINTREE: Beasant, Clohessy, Goodman, Parry, Okino, Hall-Johnson, Isaac, Lee (sub Henshall, 71), Twardek (sub Dias, 64), Midson, Barnard. Unused subs: Henshall, Corne, Dias, Farrell, Gayle

Referee: Craig Hicks

Attendance: 860