Braintree Town’s defence may be breathing sigh of relief that they won’t be facing a striker who they were lining up alongside not so long ago when they travel to Aldershot Town tonight. The Iron shut out FC Halifax Town on Saturday in a 1-0 win that moved them back up to eighth in the Skrill Premier and were expecting a tough time as they looked to come up against Charlie Strutton after he joined the Shots on loan from AFC Wimbledon last week. Strutton, who hit six goals in seven loan appearances for Braintree in September and October, played in Aldershot’s 5-1 hammering of Southport at the weekend, but injured his leg in the game. It has now been confirmed that he has fractured his fibia so has returned to Wimbledon to rehabilitate. It has spared the Iron having to face a potent striker, but defender Alan Massey said they will still need to be sharp to keep their excellent form on the road going. He said: “We have been good away from home – perhaps more so than at home – so hopefully we can carry that on at Aldershot. “I think teams know they are going to get a hard game when they come to our place. “They don’t leave as much space as they do when we face them away from home, but it’s just one of those things that we’ve seemed to pick up more away than we do at home. “It was good to bounce back against Halifax because it would have been four games without a win if we’d lost. “To get three points off a side who were sitting above us in the table before the game was good and we need to push on. “We now need the same at Aldershot because it will be another tough game. “We need the same approach and attitude with everyone working hard and hopefully we’ll be able to keep another clean sheet.” Matt Paine will be suspended for the trip to Aldershot after picking up his fifth booking of the season against Halifax, but Chez Isaac returns after a one-match ban last weekend. Aldershot are second from bottom in the league but are only in the drop zone because of a ten-point deduction due to going into administration last season.