A depleted Braintree side stepped up to the plate in style on Saturday to maintain the club’s 100% start to the new season in a pulsating Essex derby.

Tree’s victory over local rivals Maldon made it four wins out of four for Brian Joslin’s men, and keeps them at the top of Essex One due to their superior points differential over rivals East London.
The Black and Ambers controlled the first quarter of an hour of the game despite having to make seven changes to their starting line-up due to injuries and unavailability.
Early pressure led to the ball being fed to prop Chris Halford who burst through the Maldon defence to score a 2nd minute try which was converted by Kingsley Joslin for a 7-0 lead.
Nine minutes later wing James Abbott intercepted a stray pass as Maldon were putting the visitors under pressure and he outstripped the opposition defence to score under the posts.
Joslin’s conversion put Tree 14-0 in front and it looked like the men from Robbs Wood were about to run away with the game when they scored a third try on 15 minutes.
Full-back Glen Whyatt was involved in the beginning of the move on one side of the pitch and then popped up on the opposite flank to finish off a ‘through the hands’ backs move to score out wide.
But this time Joslin was unable to convert the score and despite establishing a 19-0 lead with less than a quarter of the game gone the wheels then fell off Tree’s wagon.
Maldon hit back on 18 minutes when a kick to touch from a penalty set up a successful catch and drive move by their forwards from a line-out which led to an unconverted try in the corner. 5-19.
On 24 minutes the home side’s forwards bullocked their way through Tree’s defence with a series of ‘pick and drive’ moves which took them all the way to the line for a converted try. 12-19.
And on 28 minutes another successful catch and drive move from a line-out led to a third try which was successfully converted to level the scores at 19-19.
The second-half was a much tighter and altogether more nervy affair and it was Maldon who got in the driving seat, slotting home a 50th minute penalty to take a slender 22-19 lead.
The home side then launched a sustained attack on Tree’s lines but the visitors dug deep and managed to repel their attacks.
When they eventually emerged onto the front foot after 75 minutes they were awarded a penalty which Joslin kicked to level the scores at 22-22.
And three minutes later it was Joslin whose superb long range strike sailed over to clinch victory after he opted to kick for the posts rather than territorial advantage when Tree were awarded a 78th minute penalty.

BRUFC Manager Brian Joslin said: “We expected Maldon to be strong and they proved to be strongest side we've played against in the league this season.
“We had to make a lot of changes to our starting 15 but we started very strongly, scoring three tries in the first 20 minutes while playing some great rugby. “Credit to Maldon they regrouped and took the game to us for the next 50 minutes to pull the score back and eventually take the lead.
“But our boys showed great character to rally in the last 10 minutes and dig out a deserved victory which maintains our 100% record. “Chris Halford had a strong game in the forwards, Craig Willis had a fine game after returning following a long injury absence and Kingsley had a good day with the boot. “But Glen Whyatt was probably our stand-out player with another impressive game at 15 including some last ditch tackling to keep Maldon at bay.

“We still haven’t played at our peak level but hopefully with players returning from injuries and our 2s playing regularly we'll soon have strength in depth and our fitness levels and match day performances will get better and better.”
Tree are without a league game now until Saturday 14th November when they travel down to the Thames Estuary for another Essex derby against Canvey Island.

BRUFC: Whyatt, J Young, Adams, Joslin, Abbott, Willis, Page (Dawson), Aldridge, Kerr (Shipton), Halford, Johnson, Fitzearle, Turner (Benfield), Carslake, Spearman.