Controversial decision denies Braintree Town a point against Wrexham
Michael Cheek, who failed to score in the 2-0 home defeat to Barrow. Cheek did however receive the Braintree Town supporters' player-of-the-year award after the game. icture: ALAN STUCKEY - Credit: Archant
A controversial decision by referee Adam Bromley, to deny what looked a perfectly good 67th-minute Braintree Town equaliser, in the end ensured Wrexham took all three points at the IronmongeryDirect Stadium on Saturday.
After the visitors had taken the lead, three minutes earlier, through an Oliver Shenton strike, Iron’s young midfielder Reece Hall-Johnson fired in a fine, low shot from outside the area, into the bottom right-hand corner of the Wrexham net.
But, despite no flag being raised for a possible offside, both sets of players were mystified by the Plymouth official’s decision to immediately disallow the goal.
The referee told Braintree’s players the decision had been made after one of them had obstructed the view of goalkeeper Chris Dunn, a view home fans vociferously disagreed.
The Iron, who gave a debut to new Luton loan signing defender Frankie Musonda, looked, for large parts of this game the more likely side to score, and it was only some sloppy finishing that stopped them.
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They got off to the best possible start, with in-form striker Michael Cheek snatching a goal-poacher’s goal in the penalty box in the first minute, from a Harry Lee assist, his 15th league goal of the season.
The home fans’ joy though was shortlived thought when, after good work by Izale McLeod, Ntumba Massanka fired home a low shot past stranded home keeper Sam Beasant, three minutes later.
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The home side had the better of goal scoring chances in the first half, then, with the game poised at 1-1, Hall-Johnson and Monty Patterson were sent crashing to the ground in the visitors’ area, but referee Bromley refused to budge.
The visitors then easily saw out the last 15 minutes or so, even though late efforts from Cheek, Jack Midson and Chez Isaac almost forced an equaliser.
Next up for the Iron are Lincoln City, at home, tomorrow.
Braintree Town; Beasant , Clohessy , Parry, Okimo; Hall-Johnson (Henshall 74), Isaac (Maybanks 78), Lee, Patterson (Twardek 57); Cheek, Midson. Unused subs: Barnard, Corne.
