After only getting 1 point on the road in the last two league games Ely got back to winning ways by comprehensively beating Braintree Town Reserves and scored 6 goals in a league game for the first time since 1st December 2012.

Will Beech started in goal in place of the injured Craig Galbraith and Jamie Alsop, Liam Griffin and Craig Neal returned to the starting line up with Spencer Saberton, Sam Goodge and Jack Saunders dropping to the bench.

Braintree came to the Unwin in good form having won their last three league matches and sat just one place below Ely in the table. However Ely started in a dominant mood and it set the pattern for the rest of the game. As early as the second minute Ely had rattled the Braintree woodwork from a James Seymour header. This followed with both Matty Simpson and Alex Theobald going close with efforts but the deadlock was finally opened after 10 minutes when Alex Theobald made the most of the Braintree defence giving the ball away and lobbed the keeper from 20 yards.

Ely continued to push forward but chance after chance was either missed or well saved by the Braintree keeper. Matty Simpson hit the woodwork, Alex Theobald missed from close range and James Seymour headed wide when well placed. Braintree could not cope with the high tempo Ely were playing at and were camped in their own half. The second goal finally came when Matty Simpson finished from an Alex Theobald knock down in the 40th minute to make it 2-0 at half time.

The second half was much of the same with Ely dominant in possession and attacking threat. Credit to Braintree though in the way that they never gave up and continued to battle throughout the 90 minutes. It was not until the 69th minute when Ely extended their lead further. A dangerous Jamie Alsop free kick from the right hand side eluded everyone in the box and found its way into the far corner. Three soon became four when Matty Simpson broke the offside trap and lobbed the keeper from 25 yards to take his goal tally to 7 in 6 games since he has joined the club. Braintree hit back with potentially the best goal of the game when a shot from 25 yards flew into the top corner giving Will Beech no chance. Conceding the goal kicked Ely on again and James Seymour finally got on the score sheet tapping in from close range after the keeper had saved a Matty Simpson shot. The final goal of the game was scored by Sam Goodge when he headed in a cross from Jamie Alsop.

The victory lifts up back into 5th in the league table after 12 games played. Next week we entertain Leiston Reserves in a rescheduled league fixture due to our First Division knock-out Cup game being moved to 24th November.