MILLWALL 13

BRAINTREE 39

Essex League division one Premier

CHAMPIONS elect Braintree maintained their 100 per cent league record with a fine bonus-point win in East London.

The Black and Ambers were in no mood to relinquish their perfect stats for the Essex League division one campaign and swept the Londoners aside with one of their best performances of the season.

Millwall gave an early indication of their intent when they were awarded a scrum penalty after just two minutes when Braintree pushed them off the ball and turned over possession.

It was the first of 15 penalties the home side were awarded in the first – the visitors only got one – and their kicker made the best of the howling gale at his back to put his side 3-0 up.

Six minutes later the visitors were penalised again for not releasing in the tackle and another well taken wind-assisted kick saw them extend their lead to 6-0.

It wasn’t until the 16th minute that Braintree finally got some ball and were able to put a few phases of play together which finished with prop Max Turner crashing over.

The Black and Ambers eventually edged in front on the half hour mark when, despite being a man down to a yellow card, a kick to touch from Craig Willis put them in a strong attacking position.

Braintree won clean ball at the line-out and fed it through the hands back to Willis to enable the inside centre to crash over and then kick the conversion to give his side a 12-6 lead.

But just as they seemed to be taking control, Millwall’s long re-start kick was fumbled and the home side’s backs capitalised to score a converted try of their own to give them a 13-12 interval lead.

With the wind and the sloping pitch in their favour after the break Braintree pressed hard from the whistle, dominating the scrums.

On 49 minutes a long spell of pressure forced a series of infringements by the hosts, who were finally awarded a penalty try which Willis converted to put his side 19-13 ahead.

Further pressure straight from re-start saw play move straight back into home 22, with Braintree’s forwards picking and driving relentlessly to put open side flanker Mike Benfield in for a try.

Millwall weren’t spent as an attacking force but second row replacement Dan Johnston proved pivotal in sealing the game as he crashed over for a brace of tries on 65 and 70 minutes to stretch Braintree’s lead to 34-13.

The game was sealed when a deft chip through by fly-half Josh Hine that centre James Abbott touched down to seal a 39-13 win.

Braintree: Dann, Drew, Abbott, Willis, Crane, Hine, Page, Perry, W Turner, M Turner, Apps, Fitzearle, Carslake, Benfield, Smillie. Reps: Johnston, Moss, Lee.