Southend United beat Braintree Town 2-1 at Roots Hall on Friday afternoon, a result that owed much to Andrew Dallas, who gave the hosts a commanding position inside the opening forty minutes.
Dallas struck in the sixth minute to settle Southend early, then doubled their advantage in the 33rd minute after Gus Scott-Morriss had been dismissed in the 31st, leaving Braintree with both a deficit and a numerical disadvantage to manage. Ryan Battrum's booking shortly before half-time added further pressure on the visitors.
Braintree reorganised at the interval, and Goran Babić's goal on 46 minutes gave them renewed purpose. Oliver Coker was cautioned as the visitors pushed forward, and Harry Boyes went close at 57 minutes before Babić again threatened. Southend responded with a flurry of changes around the hour mark, bringing on Keenan Appiah-Forson and Jack Bridge alongside Ben Goodliffe, and it was Appiah-Forson who restored the two-goal cushion at 65 minutes.
Braintree refused to retreat entirely. Callum Harriott came on and reduced the deficit at 80 minutes, setting up a tense closing period in which James Clarridge was booked and Sahid Kamara received a second yellow card in the 83rd minute to leave the visitors with ten men again. James Morton's goal at 86 minutes settled the contest at 3-2, Southend holding on despite a busy afternoon of cards and substitutions to collect all three points.
Recap generated from the event timeline. Editorial team review by request. How we use AI.
