Jay Emmanuel-Thomas came off the bench to score a late free-kick on his debut as Braintree beat fellow strugglers Truro at Cressing Road.

Emmanuel-Thomas was announced as a new signing just an hour before kick-off following a short stint with AFC Totton.

The 34-year-old was released from prison earlier this year having served 10 months of a four-year sentence for his involvement in a £600,000 drug smuggling plot.

The Iron, looking to end an eight-match winless run, went close in the first half when defender Manny Omrore fired over following a scramble in the six-yard box before Marley Marshall-Miranda then saw his close-range effort saved.

Braintree had a chance to break the deadlock from the penalty spot just after the hour mark, but James Vennings saw his effort saved by Dan Lavercombe and Omrore then sent his header against the crossbar.

Former Arsenal trainee Emmanuel-Thomas fired a free-kick into the top corner with five minutes left and John Akinde added another in stoppage time.

Report supplied by PA Media.