BRAINTREE Town were beaten at home for the first time this season after losing 2-0 to Taunton Town at the Dunmow Group Stadium, writes DAVID WARD.

There's simply no excuse for the Iron players for this appalling and in all honesty disgusting display at the Dunmow Group Stadium which saw the Somerset side deservedly win on their first-ever visit, denting the Iron's hopes for a National League South play-off place.

After all the euphoria of the midweek Essex Senior Cup Final win, this performance was unrecognisable from that side because they were lethargic throughout lacking energy, commitment and endeavour and totally devoid of any cohesion or apparent game plan, a big let down for the majority of the bumper 820 crowd.

Braintree manager Angelo Harrop said: "To say I am disappointed with this poor performance would be an understatement.

"We were lethargic and for some reason didn't seem able to strong two passes together and I expected more from the players.

"Yes we missed both John White and Alfie Pavey big time on the day but we have players who by now should be able to cope.

"We know this league is a hard one, unforgiving and you have to be on your game from the first whistle.

"We gave away two really poor goals but I felt we could and should have come back much stronger in the second half and pulled the game round.

"The players get credit when they deserve to but not on this performance.

"I had hoped the subs coming on would have have changed the game in our favour but it didn't work out while the less said about the referee the better."

"We have put this one to bed and the players learn from it and now we knuckle down and fully prepare for next week which is again a vitally important game that we must win."

Tactically, Harrop's side were well off course too right from the kick-off.

With striker Alfie Pavey suspended they continued to hoof long, high balls up front with Iron's diminutive forwards standing no chance against the tall visiting defenders while the home defence was all at sixes and sevens. clearly missing the voice and organisation of injured skipper John White.

The Iron management gave a debut to young Ipswich loanee Zak Bradshaw in the back line.

But his unfamiliarity of players around him showed and in reality led to the visitors taking the lead on ten minutes when the unmarked Zac Smith had two bites of the cherry, finally heading the ball into the net past the helpless keeper Jack Sims.

It went from bad to worse for Braintree on the half hour when the visitors added their second and it was a simple move 'like a knife through butter' with Ollie Chamberlain having all the room needed to slip the ball past Sims, with defenders too static.

It was no more than the visitors deserved and they could have added a couple of more before the break while up at the other end on a rare Iron attack they did get the ball into the net but it was ruled offside.

The second half failed to see any significant improvement in the Iron's performance because they continued to hoof high balls forward yet failing to do the simple ball passing in midfield and work the flanks.

Substitutes were brought on but it made no difference as the Iron continued to huff and puff.

Referee Liam Corbett allowed the experienced visitors to get away time wasting and feigning injuries, while their substitute Nick McCootie was allowed to stay on after fouling and then appearing to strike Iron substitute Alfie Matthews, with the Taunton player not even booked.

Late on the Iron had a couple of chances to have pulled at least a goal back but they were wasted and it rather epitomised the whole afternoon of the hosts' performance.

Braintree's players will now need some serious midweek training and another wake up call is they are to beat Dover Athletic at home on Saturday to keep their play-off hopes on course.