Braintree boss hails fans after 690-mile Truro trip

Braintree Town boss Steve Pitt paid tribute to the 23 supporters who made the long journey to Truro to see them lose a dramatic National League Cup quarter-final.

Pitt described the travelling fans who undertook a 690-mile round trip to Cornwall on Tuesday night as "outstanding" after his team were beaten in a penalty shoot-out.

The Iron fell behind in the 78th minute and looked to be heading to defeat when goalkeeper Mason Terry equalised in the fifth minute of added time.

But the shootout proved an anti-climax for the Essex side as Truro scored with their first three penalties and Lewis Walker, James Vennings and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas failed to do likewise.

"I thought we did more than enough to win it. We were comfortable first half without dominating and in the second half, there was only one team in it," Pitt told BBC Essex Sport.

"We took the game to them, kept possession of the ball exceptionally well and they struggled to live with us at times. How we've not scored before we did, I'm not sure.

"The only time they opened us up was for the goal and we were so on top at that time, it beggared belief really.

"Mason pulled us out of the mire at the death, but penalties are a lottery, their three were absolutely exceptional and ours were woeful."

Asked whether his side practised penalties, he replied: "Yes we do, but you wouldn't think it, would you?"

Boreham Wood and Tamworth join Truro in the last four, along with West Ham's Under-21 side, who beat Boston United 2-1.

Braintree, meanwhile, have a home game against Eastleigh on Saturday as they look to extricate themselves from the National League relegation zone.

"It's an area of the table we've been outside for some considerable time and that's really off the back of two poor performances against Boreham Wood and York," said Pitt.

"When we are in the ascendancy, when we are on top and dominating, we just need to be better [in the final third]."