Bury Town cruise to five-goal victory against 10-man Stowmarket Town with Luke Brown scoring twice against his former club
Luke Brown returned to haunt his old club as he scored twice at Stowmarket Town to help Bury Town on their way to three precious points and local bragging rights in a comfortable 5-0 victory this afternoon.
In front of a 600-plus crowd at Greens Meadow there was no shortage of action with the woodwork denying both sides twice in the first half before Brown’s 43rd minute opener went in off the post.
Stow’s chances in the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division derby were then severely hindered when centre-back Brad Byrne was shown a straight red card for pulling back Ryan Jolland as the last man in the 49th minute.
Bury, who had lost all four meetings against the Old Gold & Blacks across league and two cup competitions last season, ahead of financial backer Tom Morley pulling out, soon doubled their advantage with Brown again firing in off the post in the 57th minute.
They showed no mercy thereafter with Max Maughn, Ollie Yun and substitute Cemal Ramadan all adding their names to the scoresheet, leaving Stowmarket on a single point after five matches.
The home side included a surprise debutant in their ranks in former Colchester United professional Ollie Sims, who had joined Bury in the summer from a spell back with his local club, Cornard United, following his release from the U’s.
Coming in for Joel Simmons, it was the only change former Bury boss Richard Wilkins made from the side that started Tuesday’s 3-1 Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup win at Kirkley & Pakefield.
Cole Skuse and Paul Musgrove, the latter returning to the club he resigned from as manager suddenly in January, opted to start Santa De La Paz in place of their erstwhile leading goalscorer Cemal Ramadan, in one change from last Saturday’s home Isuzu FA Trophy win against Walthamstow.
They also resisted the temptation to throw Ed Upson straight back in against his former club following his red card suspension, including the ex-professional among the substitutes.
Brown saw an early shot for the visitors deflect through to the goalkeeper while Ollie Canfer, who had a spell with Bury, broke through down the other end before seeing Danny Cullum make a routine save from his weak effort.
Home keeper James Askew made a diving save to pluck an Ethan Mayhew long-range shot out of the air as Bury exerted some early pressure.
The goalframe was struck for the first time in the 14th minute when Stow captain Jack Wilkinson threaded a pass through for Scott Sloots and his low shot from the edge of the penalty area came back off the foot of the left-hand post.
Brown dragged a shot wide from 18 yards for Bury after Ryan Jolland had burst through on the break midway through the half.
In the 26th minute Sloots was denied a home opener by the crossbar after he fired in a follow-up shot to Ollie Fenn being unable to get a Wilkinson free kick clear
Mayhew’s shot on the turn went wide before, just after the half-hour mark, before Bury were then denied by the goalframe when De La Paz’s angled shot came back off the right-hand post.
Less than three minutes later it was the other post which came to Stow’s rescue as Ollie Fenn’s curling effort from the edge of the area, from Brown’s lay-off, bounced back out.
Jolland fired wide of the right post as the Bury onslaught continued.
But Stow came close up the other end with Sylla Keita’s effort deflected wide off Yun’s head before Sloots nodded the subsequent Wilkinson corner over at the far post.
But Bury finally got their noses in front in the 43rd minute when Maughn skipped inside Joe Carroll before cutting the ball back from the byline for Brown who guided it from the edge of the area in off the top of the left-hand post.
Both sides made changes at the interval with Stow bringing on striker Bart Lorimer for right winger Dylan Kirk, who was later revealed to have sustained an injury, while Bury replaced Josh Curry with midfielder Ryan Horne.
After Sims had an early shot blocked, the course of the game soon took a turn in the 49th minute when, with Jolland running on to Brown’s pass down the right channel, Byrne pulled him down and the referee did not hesitate to brandish a red card.
De La Paz missed a good chance to double Bury’s advantage soon after, skying a cut-back from Maughn before Jolland’s 55th minute shot clipped the top of the crossbar on its way over.
The second goal arrived two minutes later when Brown sent another shot in off the post from the edge of the area after Jolland's pass from De La Paz was deflected into his path.
Askew turned a fierce angled effort from Maughn around his near post on the hour mark.
Up the other end there was a rare Stow chance to pull one back when Sims’ deep cross saw Sloots’ headed land on the roof of the net.
Askew denied Bury a third soon after with a fine double save, first from Brown from close-range and then the former AFC Sudbury Academy player got down to get a strong hand in front of Horne’s fierce low drive.
But he could do little to stop Maughn beating him in the 67th minute with the midfielder providing a sweeping low finish into the right-hand post from Brown's pass into the area.
Bury continued to look for more goals with Askew beating away an 80th minute effort from Ed Upson before saving at the feet of fellow substitute Ramadan from the former’s throughball.
It was 4-0 in the 86th minute though as, from Brown’s pass, Ramadan’s initial show was well saved by Askew but spilled loose for Yun to knock in the rebound from close-range.
Askew saved a chipped effort from Upson before the fifth arrived in the fifth minute of stoppage time. The Stow defence allowed Ramadan room in down the right and he cut inside before lashing home from an angle inside the area.
It completed a painful second half for the hosts who had looked well in the contest until the sending off and will now need to lick their wounds before looking to bounce back at Bowers & Pitsea next wekeend.
For Bury, now up to seventh in the table, attention will turn back to the Isuzu FA Trophy during the week as they build up to taking on higher-league Wingate & Finchley on Saturday.
Stowmarket: Askew, Chilvers, Carroll, Wilkinson (Newman 85’), Ladbrook, Byrne, Kirk (Lorimer 46’), Keita (Rea 54'), Sloots, Canfer, Sims.
Unused subs: Simmons, De Lara-Bell (gk), Newman.
Booked: Carroll (24’).
Bury: Cullum, Maughn, Yun, O’Malley, White, Fenn (cpt), Curry (Horne 46’), Mayhew, De Le Paz (Ramadan 70’), Brown, Jolland (Upson 69’).
Unused subs: Curtis, Gardner.
Booked: None.
Attendance: 605.
SuffolkNews Man of the Match: Luke Brown. The former Stowmarket striker scored two, laid on the next and also had a hand in the fourth with his hold-up and approach play as impressive as his finishing.
