Basingstoke Town 1, Braintree Town 2

BRAINTREE completed a hat-trick of wins over Basingstoke Town this season with victory at the Camrose Ground on Saturday.

That said, the home side deserved a point after having another penalty appeal turned down.

Basingstoke started the better with young defender Tom Foster forcing visiting 'keeper Paul Catley to save his 25-yard shot after eight minutes.

However, the defender's afternoon was cut short just three minutes later when he caught a Bradley Quinton cross full on the chin which rocked back his head.

As a precaution, Foster was stretchered off and taken to hospital but luckily the injury proved not to be as serious as first thought.

Braintree, FA Trophy victors at the Camrose earlier in the season, took a surprise lead, gifted to them by normally-reliable home goalkeeper Scott Tarr after 27 minutes.

His attempted clearance went straight to Quinton, who returned it with interest, lobbing the 'keeper from the edge of the area.

As the half came to a close, Jason Eaton picked up a yellow card for a late challenge on Phil Rippingale but was left to wonder how Dave Culverhouse escaped a caution for taking chunks out of him all afternoon.

As the 45-minute mark passed, Matt Hayfield won a free-kick near the right corner flag and from this the home side equalised.

Mark Lisk sent in a cross which Craig McAllister headed down and Jason Bristow guided the ball over the line with his shin.

Soon after, a Paul Wilkinson cross saw Catley miss his punch but Toby Sumner shot over with the goal begging.

The second half was only two minutes old when Eaton went down under a challenge from Culverhouse but no penalty was given.

Just after the hour, Tarr made up for his error in the first half with a great save to deny Gavin Cowan as he got on the end of a Dean Parratt cross at the back post.

Town responded immediately with substitute Steve Baker running down the left wing to find Eaton. He touched the ball on to Hayfield, who forced Catley into a good save.

The winner came on 78 minutes from a great move which saw Quinton's right-wing cross thumped home by Mark Jones at the back post.

After that Basingstoke tried to look for an equaliser but they never really had a clear-cut chance.

Manager Ernie Howe said: "I felt we deserved a point today and, maybe, we could have gone on and won it if we had been given that penalty early in the second half."

He added: "We have given them a goal and they scored two goals with just three shots. We never really got the rub of the green and once again this season they have taken all the points."

* Basingstoke Town trio Scott Tarr, Paul Wilkinson and Jason Bristow have been selected for an FA XI to face the Combined Services at RAF Uxbridge tonight.

Basingstoke: Tarr, Foster (sub Baker 17min), Forbes, Bristow, Wilkinson, Lisk, Hayfield, Honor (sub Davis 81), McAllister, Eaton, Sumner. Sub (not used): Layton.

Braintree: Catley, Kreyling, Davidson, Cowan, Culverhouse, Rippingale (sub Goode 58min), Parratt, Quinton, Smith, Jones. Subs (not used): Howard, Sampson.