BRAINTREE: In-form Iron ahead of schedule

By dward

BRAINTREE Town have become the surprise team in the Blue Square South currently sitting in fifth place and taken 39 points from 22 games but their success hasn't surprised manager Robbie Garvey.

"In a way we are ahead of schedule because having re-built the side in the summer, bringing the average age of the side down with some younger, but less experienced players, I expected it to take longer to establish ourselves," said Garvey.

"We have made much better and quicker progress than perhaps I had originally anticipated. "But nobody's getting carried away with what we have achieved - we're only half way through the season so there's a long way to go."

Garvey, who has been in the job for eight months in what is his first managerial post, said his new-look team had come to terms more quickly with the level of Conference football.

But he knows that to keep up with the bigger and better off clubs in the league like Woking, Dover Athletic and even neighbours Chelmsford City - they have to work their socks off every game to achieve a possible play-off place.

"We've done well so far and sit conveniently in one of those play-off places, when realistically I thought we might make it into around mid table bearing in mind all the new players who have come in," he said. "The players are doing well, there's a good atmosphere in the dressing room and we'll see that the players still keep their feet on the ground and do the simple things out on the park."

Garvey admits that it's a really tough league but they're now well equipped to cope with both the physical and mental demands at that level.

Pleased with their current 10 game unbeaten league run Garvey was also satisfied with the five points picked up over Christmas and New Year.

"Two were local derby games and they are always going be difficult and different from most of the other games," he said. "But we need to keep playing the way we are, keeping our discipline and yes we'll make mistakes like any team but we have the confidence in the players to put them right."

Assistant manager Jason Broom feels that one of the major turning points of the season was the 5-0 drubbing they had at Dorchester Town in early October.

"I think the players subsequently learned a great deal about themselves in that game and now we have a squad of good players, who look after themselves and are keen to keep pressing on," said Broom. "We want to play football that's the right way and that not only entertains people but brings the points in too,"

Iron's goalkeeping position had been a problem in the early part of the season but the re-signing of the experienced Craig Holloway has solved that crisis.

"Craig is not only experienced but is a good 'keeper and that in turns gives confidence to the line of defence in front of him because they can rely on him," he said. "In other positions we now have several options with competition for places and that keeps all the players on their toes."

Iron don't have a game this Saturday but are scheduled to travel to Maidenhead United on Tuesday in a re-arranged match before entertaining Weston-Super-Mare the following Saturday.