BRANTHAM Athletic were good value for their 2-1 success at Coggeshall Town, according to joint-manager Michael Brothers.
Saturday's Thurlow Nunn League contest was an intriguing battle between two sides vying for promotion.
Second-placed Coggeshall took the lead with a 36th-minute goal from Tom Monk.
Brantham were then reduced to ten men early in the second half following a second yellow card for Brothers.
However, the Imps showed real fight as they levelled in the 77th minute through Jack Smith and George Clarke fired home a penalty - his fifth goal in his last three games - to snatch the winner in the 83rd minute.
"It was a big game and we knew we'd have to be at our best," said Brothers, whose side head to Fakenham Town on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).
"But in a strange way, I think my sending-off almost gave the boys a bit of extra belief.
"They realised they were still in the game, even with ten men, and showed so much endeavour and work-rate in the second half.
"It was like a switch clicked and whereas we'd been in second or third gear, suddenly we motored up into fifth.
"Coggeshall had a lot of possession in the first half without really hurting us and then in the second we were absolutely superb.
"Some people might say a draw would have been a fair result, but I'd argue that we showed enough quality to deserve the points."
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