Having drawn 1-1 with Barnet three weeks ago, Braintree Town visit The Hive on Tuesday looking to put an end to a poor stretch of form.

After narrowly missing out on the play-offs and a shot at the Football League last season, it’s been a somewhat different first third of the campaign for Braintree, who find themselves in 16th place – just four points above the relegation zone.

At this stage last term, the Essex outfit were flying high in third place in the Conference, eventually finishing in sixth position following a late surge in form – thanks in no small part to the momentum gained during a run of 19 fixtures in March and April following a spate of postponements.

This season has been a different story all together for Alan Devonshire’s side, who have lost four of their last six Conference fixtures and suffered three consecutive defeats.

Only eight teams have scored fewer goals than Braintree and only two of those sides (Aldershot and Chester) are above them in the league standings.

After netting five in his last nine, young striker Jordan Cox is the club’s joint-highest goalscorer, along with midfielder and captain Kenny Davis.

It was a familiar story on Saturday as the Iron were beaten 1-0 at Altrincham. After Nicky Clee’s first-half goal for Alty, Braintree came close on several occasions but could not find a route back into the game, with James Mulley and Davis both hitting the bar.

Reflecting on just a second home defeat of the season, Town boss Devonshire admitted his frustration to the club’s website.

He said: "In the first 20-25minutes we bossed the game seeing probably too much of the ball. We were camped in their half really, then we got done with a sucker; punch poor, poor goal."

"I felt we deserved something out of the game but we haven't and we have to move on. We'll roll our sleeves up for Tuesday."

Braintree’s cause has not been helped by losing striker Michael Bakare for ten weeks after he suffered a broken leg as a passenger in a car accident. Meanwhile Charlie Strutton, signed from Wimbledon in the summer, has yet to kick a ball as he recovers from a broken leg suffered last season.

Devonshire said at the time of Bakare's accident he would look to bring another forward to the club but has recently added centre-half Omar Sowunmi on loan from Ipswich Town.

The 6ft5in central defender made his debut for the club at Altrincham on Saturday and has joined on an initial one-month loan deal.

Operating with one of the smallest budgets in the Conference, Devonshire has had to make good use of the loan system in recent years, with prolific Nottingham Forest forward Britt Assombalonga one of those to have flourished whilst on loan with the Iron.

As well as having the worst form in the division over the last six games, the Iron are holders of a record which has seen them win just two of eight on the road this season. They are also the joint-fifth lowest scorers on their travels, scoring just nine times away from Cressing Road.

Likely Braintree Town XI: Hamann; Peters, Sowunmi, Massey, Habergham; Isaac, Davis, Brundle, Sparkes; Marks, Walker.