PREVIEW: Braintree Town v Luton Town

At their compact Amlin Stadium venue and bumpy pitch, then leaders Grimsby Town saw their 18 game unbeaten run ended when they were turned over 2-0 last Tuesday, while the Iron have also disposed Forest Green Rovers 3-1 back in December.

On their travels the club have impressed too, with the standout result, a 3-2 victory at Kenilworth Road earlier in the season.

The Iron are something of an all or nothing side this year though, winning seven and losing eight of their last 15 league games, drawing just five matches so far.

Mixed is the best way of describing results too as Braintree have managed wins at Southport (2-0) and impressively at Tamworth (4-1), before losing 5-1 at home to Wrexham, while they also went down 3-0 to Macclesfield too.

Boss Alan Devonshire has set his side a target of 50 points to stay up this season though, a tally they are just 12 short of, in 16th place, four points above the drop zone.

Team news: Braintree boss Alan Devonshire will recall striker Jordan Cox from a loan spell at Aveley for tonights game.

The Iron will be without the services of Town attacker Dan Walker though, who has returned to Kenilworth Road afer a month’s loan.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Danny Naisbitt is still a week away from being fit after an ankle problem and Bradley Quinton is continuing his comeback from knee surgery.

Man in the middle: Michael Bull - shown 37 yellow cards and three reds in his 11 games this season.

Has taken two Luton matches already, the 3-1 win at Ebbsfleet and the 2-0 home win over Nuneaton. while is yet to officiate a Braintree game.

Top BSBP scorer: Iron: Dan Holman (9). Hatters - Andre Gray (11).

In charge: Alan Devonshire – As a player, he signed for West Ham United for a fee of £5,000 from non-league Southall, going on to make almost 450 appearances, winning the FA Cup while at Upton Park and earning eight caps for England.

His first managerial role was at Hampton & Richmond Borough in Conference South, before appointed as Braintree boss on May 23, 2011.

View from the opposition: Alan Devonshire told local media: “It’s a big game in front of a big crowd and we’ll have to make sure we do the same things we did against Grimsby.

“We have to play at the same high level as we did then, but it’s going to be a test.”

One to watch: Dan Holman – 22-year-old striker who Braintree snapped up from Histon for an undisclosed fee in the summer after scoring 29 goals for the Stutes last year.

The lively forward scored an fine goal at Kenilworth Road in the Irons 3-2 win earlier in the season, making it six in his opening 10 games, but has gone off the boil since.

Went nine game without goal before notching at Tamworth and also scored in the 4-2 triumph at Nuneaton to make it eight from 27 appearances this season.

Friendly faces: Town attacker Dan Walker joined Braintree on a month’s loan recently, making two starts and two sub appearances in that time.

Last time out: Hatters have only ever travelled to Braintree once as last they went down to a hugely disappointing 3-1 defeat last season.

In front of new manager Paul Buckle, watching on from the sidelines, Braintree went ahead through Adam Bailey-Dennis on five minutes, although Andre Gray levelled almost immediately.

The hosts though took victory in the second half when Sean Marks notched after 70 minutes and Billy Gibson converted a penalty in the closing stages.

Hatters: Mark Tyler, George Pilkington, Jake Howells, Curtis Osano, Janos Kovacs, Keith Keane, Alex Lawless (Stuart Fleetwood 76), Shane Blackett, Andre Boucaud (Godfrey Poku 66), Aaron O’Connor (Craig McAllister 60), Andre Gray.

Subs not used: John Paul Kissock, Adam Watkins.

Attendance: 1,703

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