BRAINTREE Town fell to a 3-1 defeat at Barnet in the National League, writes DAVID WARD.

But forget the final scoreline, because it simply doesn't sum up this entertaining game at the Hive.

After a shaky first half, the Iron dominated the second period, created several good scoring chances and in reality should have returned home with at least a point.

Sadly, it was the usual story of Braintree not taking their several chances when well on top in the second half.

Had they done so, they could even have won this match against admittedly one of the strongest sides in the league.

For the 129 Iron fans in the 1,507 crowd, the only pleasing and certainly positive aspect was that their side played without doubt their best football so far this season in that second half.

At last, there are clean signs of the team now heading in the right direction and there is renewed optimism in the Iron camp of better times ahead.

They had the best possible start by scoring in the first minute when John Akinde, against his former club, raced clear to drill the ball home past home keeper Nick Hayes.

Having taken such an early league the Iron again, as they did at York in midweek, gave away a schoolboy error of goal three minutes later to allow Barnet to equalise.

And it was dreadful defending by the Iron on 17 minutes that gifted Barnet a second goal and twice afterwards it took two excellent saves by Lucas Covolan to keep his side in the game.

(Image: JON WEAVER) Thankfully the Iron management made an excellent tactical change at half-time in a bid to curb what had been rampant wing play on either side by the home side.

The alteration completely transformed the match and saw the Iron really take charge with some excellent build-up that was causing Barnet all kinds of problems in defence.

Iron's second-half substitutions worked too and it just needed one of several goal scoring chances on offer to have gone into the net and it would have changed the whole complexity and outcome of the game.

Sadly, those chances yet again went begging and the rattled home side went up the other end to add a third goal seven minutes from very much against the run of play.

(Image: JON WEAVER)

It left Braintree manager Angelo Harrop completely frustrated adding: "We were so in charge of the second half and created chances that we should have come away from the game with something.

"I've no complaints about the first half which they deservedly came in 2-1 but again we simply gave them two gift goals and you can't afford to do that at this level.

"The tactical change we made at half-time changed the game and I'm pleased with how we played and for long periods it was the best we've been so far this season.

"Everyone knows it's a fine margin between winning and losing but I honestly felt that on how second-half performance we were well in control."