Cook-Appiah nets on debut as Slough Town pick up a point at Braintree Town

Image: Trae Appiah-Cook. Credit: Slough Town FC

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Braintree Town 1, Slough Town 1

The Rebels new loan signing Trae Cook-Appiah netted a 73rd minute levellers as the visitors came from behind to pick up a crucial point away to play-off rivals Braintree Town on Saturday.

Cook-Appiah was signed on loan from Wealdstone until the end of the season earlier in the week and, having been brought on for Nathan Minhas in the 64th minute, applied a neat finish to David Ogbonna’s right-wing cross less than 10 minutes later.

The visitors had edged the first half in terms of chances; however, they fell behind just before the hour mark when Aaron Blair tapped home to give Braintree the lead.

Having levelled matters through Appiah-Cook’s fine finish, the Rebels then held on for a useful point in their own play-off battle.

The result leaves them 10th in the table with 10 matches to play and moves them to within four points of the top seven.

Perhaps crucially, they’ve also now played the same number of games, or fewer, than most of the sides around and above them in the standings.

On Wednesday evening they’re back on the road at second from bottom Havant & Waterlooville, looking to maintain their large charge for a play-off position.

There was little to separate the sides in an action-packed first 45 minutes and the Rebels created their own share of good openings.

Dan Bayliss failed to get a good connection on a fifth-minute corner, while Jack Sims saved well from Matt Lench’s attempt from distance in the 14th minute.

Johnny Goddard came close to adding to his season’s haul of goals when he saw a goal-bound shot blocked in the 23rd minute, while Slavi Spasov was denied by the save of the half from Sims, who clawed out his close-range header following a fantastic cross.

Ogbonna was posing a threat with his pace and crosses from the right, but slightly against the run of play, Braintree took the lead in the 58th minute when Blair tapped home for the hosts.

Cook-Appiah and Christie Ward were then brought on for Minhas and Leon Chambers-Parillon and the Wealdstone striker instinctively tucked home Ogbonna’s cross at the near post to make it 1-1.

There were chances at both ends in the remaining 20 plus minutes, with Dan Lincoln pulling off a fine save to deny Tom Blackwell in the 81st minute, but the Rebels held on to stretch their unbeaten run in the league to six matches.