Burnham beaten by Braintree

It was a cold icy day and the first real winters day so far this season, we arrived and the ground was still frozen, we made our way over to the pitches and started to warm up. All with hats and gloves on it was then time to get ready for the first game. Off came hats, gloves and coats to grumbles from the players so Hugh showed all how to make mud gloves to keep hands warm and grip the ball, the highlight of many of the players day, with some still feeling the chill and opting to keep the gloves on.

The fixture was billed as a triangle with Chelmsford but unfortunately we only got to play Braintree three times.

The first game started off with our players a little slow but holding their own, very quickly finding that this was not the normal game of non contact tag that we are used to with players on both sides running in to one another, tripping and pushing. Braintree's defence was strong making two six tags turnovers in the first game helping them to a convincing win.

The second game was another physical game with our players with gloves on paying the price as tags slipped through their fingers time after time. We saw a new tactic from the second Braintree team of crowding the ball carrier and forcing them back which seemed to work well against our players as they made loose passes giving away hard won points. Braintree win.

The third game was much the same as the first two with a controversy with my refereeing over the non contact rules, this still did not distract from some very good attacking by Braintree leading to a Braintree win.