Leaders Braintree Town battled to a 0-0 draw with Chelmsford City tonight, in a hard-fought derby at Melbourne Park.

Defences were on top throughout in a game of few chances for either side, as Rod Stringer's side stretched their lead at the top of Blue Square Bet South to seven points.

For the large part, this was a fair, but keenly-contested Essex derby, full of commitment and endeavour, if a little lacking in excitement.

But Iron did have to play the final 13 minutes of the game with only ten men, after striker Stefan Payne was given his marching orders following an off-the-ball incident involving Chelmsford defender, Sami El-Abd.

On a bobbly, gluepot of a surface, Braintree had the better of the opening half hour and looked the more dangerous of the two sides.

But although there was a lot of huff and puff, there was little way in the way of quality.

Chelmsford goalkeeper James Pullen was forced to palm Jai Reason's lofted, curling cross over for a corner, midway through the first half.

And Reason shot straight at Pullen soon after, following Brad Quinton's quick free-kick.

Adam Bailey-Dennis headed Quinton's curling free-kick wide from close range as Iron pressed and although Wayne Gray's shot flashed just wide for Chelmsford, it was the visitors who looked livelier going forward.

Pullen gobbled up Kenny Davis's first-time shot while at the other end, Ricky Modeste's 25-yard effort sailed just wide, as the Clarets finished a goal-less first half strongly.

Chelmsford's teenage Colchester United loanee Jordan Sanderson tested Iron goalkeeper Nathan McDonald with a long-range effort, in the opening minutes of the second half.

But defences were largely on top and there was little room to manoeuvre for the forwards of either team, in the final third.

Braintree, who forced countless corners throughout without seriously troubling Chelmsford, sent on experienced striker Cliff Akurang for his Iron debut.

But they were forced to play the final 13 minutes with ten men when Payne was dismissed, after El-Abd went down off the ball.

However, Braintree comfortably survived the final stages of the game to secure a valuable point against one of their promotion rivals.

BRAINTREE TOWN: McDonald, Starkey, Paine, Bailey-Dennis, Jones, Quinton, Symons, Reason, Davis, Marks (sub Akurang, 76), Payne. Substitutes: Lechmere, Poole, Shulton, Thorne.