Emmanuel-Thomas 'offers quality' - Braintree boss

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas remains subject to bail conditions following his prison term

Braintree Town boss Steve Pitt hailed a "genius" debut goal by Jay Emmanuel-Thomas after signing the forward five months following his release from prison.

The former Arsenal, Ipswich Town and Bristol City player scored with a late free-kick, which set the Iron on their way to a 2-0 National League win over Truro City.

Emmanuel-Thomas, 34, served more than 10 months of a four-year sentence for masterminding the importation of £600,000 worth of cannabis.

He joined AFC Totton last summer after his release and moved on to Braintree last week in order to be closer to his daughter in London.

"Even though he hasn't got the pace that he had, he still offers quality and you'll struggle to see a better free-kick at this level," Pitt told BBC Essex Sport.

Pitt said Braintree had first been approached about signing Emmanuel-Thomas in the summer but the club were not in a financial position to do so at that time.

The deal was revived, though, when Pitt contacted AFC Totton boss Jimmy Ball about FA Cup first-round opponents Chelmsford City - who Totton had recently played - and Ball also told Pitt that Emmanuel-Thomas wished to relocate.

"He [Ball] said 'we're going to allow him (to leave) if he finds a club and the right environment' - he said all the right things to me so last week we started the ball rolling," said Pitt.

"Obviously there is a due process which you have to follow, and we finally got him in the building on Thursday. He trained with us for two days and you've seen the result - genius."

Pitt said Emmanuel-Thomas had behaved in "exactly the right manner" in training.

He added: "He's been a pleasure to work with in training, the younger boys feed off him and quite rightly so.

"I don't want to talk about his past because I can't influence his past. He was sentenced by the judiciary, he's served whatever punishment he had, he's still serving that now.

"But I can only reflect on people that work with me and and how they respond to me and my staff and he's been absolutely top drawer."

Braintree's win ended a run of six games without victory in all competitions.

They are 21st in the table ahead of an away game against Scunthorpe United on Saturday.