A typical pre-season friendly with a non-league side ended with Town running out comfortable 5-1 winners. The game gave Town fans their first opportunity to watch Pablo Couñago and Andy Marshall while Tommy Miller was in attendence, although not playing.
The match was a testimonial for Adam Tanner's brother Russell who has been at Braintree for 12 years. Players from both teams welcomed the night's star on to the pitch as he ran on with his daughter.
It took Town 28 minutes to get ahead and the first goal came through the unlikely auspices of Wayne Brown. The centre-half got on the end of a cross from the left which had gone beyond the attackers in the middle. Brown, still forward form a corner, lashed the ball home.
Three minutes later Martijn Reuser scored a similar goal. although the Dutchman did add a cut inside before hitting his shot past the very capable Catley in the Braintree goal.
Town had missed a number of chances in the first half. Stewart had hit the bar and Couñago, looking bright throughout, had failed to get on to the rebound. He also had a couple of well-struck shots fly over the bar and seemed to work well with Reuser and Jermaine Wright who did particularly well in the middle of midfield. Stewart also tried an old Pele trick of waiting for a diagonal ball to come to him as the keeper runs out and then leaving the ball and running round the keeper and collecting the ball. It didn't work out.
Reuser scored the third just after half-time finishing well after walking round the keeper and giving himself a very narrow angle.
The subs kept coming as the half wore on. Salmon had replaced Marshall at half-time while Nabil Abidallah came on for Clapham. New man Marshall received cheers and applause each time he made a simple save, clearly his Norwich past has not yet been forgotten.
As the game wore on the fitness of the professional side became more evident and Bramble and Stewart both scored. Darren Bent came on for an impressive cameo and came close to scoring in the last minute. He rose well to head against the bar while Abidallah buzzed about down the right creating chances for the likes of Naylor, most of which were saved by Paul Catley.
Braintree scored a goal late on from Richard Blackery, ironically probably the goal of the night.
A good work-out with Pablo, replaced in the second half by Richard Naylor, certainly showing some of the skills that made him the star of the tour.
Marshall (Salmon), Wilnis, Makin, Brown, Bramble, Wright (Nicholls ), Reuser, Holland, Stewart (Bent), Couñago (Naylor) and Clapham. (Abidallah).
James Scowcroft has commented on his impending move to Leicester City. The 25-year-old striker was given permission to talk to leicester today and seems certain to move to the midlands for a fee of between £3m and £4m.
Scowcroft said: "I'm not entirely sure what is going on at the moment but one or two people are away so it is a case of waiting for phone calls. But at the moment I'm still an Ipswich Town player and perhaps I will know more later today."