Bury Town bow out of FA Youth Cup in 4-1 home defeat to Jason Pearce’s Charlton Athletic

Bury Town briefly threatened to give Charlton Athletic’s professonals a scare in the FA Youth Cup first round at Ram Meadow tonight but the superior quality of their opposition ended up telling in a 4-1 scoreline.

The slick Addicks flew into a 2-0 lead inside 16 minutes but Bury managed to cut the deficit to a single goal heading into the interval through Ben Curtis’ 39th minute strike.

But two goals in a clinical six-minute spell mid-way through the second period – including Patrick Casey completing his hat-trick – saw the dream of claiming a League One scalp in front of the 355-strong crowd quickly disappear for the young Rams.

It could easily have been a greater scoreline were it not for the numerous heroic saves from Oliver Kellett-Green who was also thankful to his goalframe for coming to his aid twice in the second period.

Jimmy Jolland and Daren Hayward’s side went into the tie having seen off Ipswich Wanderers, Whitton United, Haverhill Rovers and Hitchin Town and were looking to reach the second round for the club for the first time since 2009/10.

On that occasion the West Suffolk College-derived side had memorably knocked out Walsall 3-2 ahead of a penalty shootout victory against Macclesfield following a 1-1 draw, also at Ram Meadow, ahead of exiting in the third round with a 5-2 defeat at Nottingham Forest.

Charlton, managed by former Portsmouth, AFC Bournemouth, Leeds United and Addicks skipper Jason Pearce, were soon controlling the ball confidently in Bury’s half. And striker Casey fired the ball into the net from outside the area in the third minute, but the referee’s whistle had already been blown to signal for offside.

However, the number nine was celebrating for real in the sixth minute when he was found unmarked at the far post to tap home a pinpoint low cross from Henry Rylah.

With the Addicks camped in the Blues’ half, they doubled their advantage in the 16th minute in similar fashion.

This time Casey positioned himself at the near post and managed to flick a low cross in off goalkeeper Oliver Kellet-Green, who had thwarted Micah Mbick with his legs a few minutes earlier.

The tall Bury shot-stopper produced a full length save to deny him his hat-trick a couple of minutes later, leaping to his right to palm away a curling effort from just outside the area.

He also went down well to his left to keep out Ibrahim Fullah’s angled effort before going on to pluck Keenan Gough’s spearing effort, following a corner, out of the top left-hand corner.

Bury began to find their feet in the game around the half-hour mark with a second incursion into the Charlton half in quick succession seeing Harvey Lott’s low cross spilled byt Henry Jolland was unable to get to it before it was hacked clear.

Up the other end Kellett-Green was comfortably behind another effort from Casey.

Bury were moving the ball about more confidently and got their rewards with a goal back int he 39th minute.

Henry Jolland slips a lovely pass into Ben Curtis to put him beyond the last defender and although his first effort is blocked by the on-rushing Jude Sadler, he found the net with the loose ball.

Looking to quickly restore their two-goal cushion, Mbick got free down the side of the area but fired past the far post while Kellett-Green got down to keep out Alan Mwamba’s shot.

Charlton struck the woodwork with an acrobatic effort within three minutes of the second half starting with Archie Cowe then clearing Harvey Lott’s shot away with Kellett-Green on the floor.

Bury’s first cahnce of the half arrivied in the 65th minute when Curtis cut in menacingly from the left but saw his shot deflected away.

But a couple of minutes later it was 3-1 as Casey completed his hat-trick with a low shot from the edge of the area which he arrowed just inside the right-hand post from the fringe of the area.

He almost had another soon after but meeting a cross on the run, Hellett-Green managed to turn it over his crossbar with a reflect save.

But it was 4-1 in the 73rd minute when Mbick fired in on the turn following a corner that came as a result of Kellett-Green pushing substitute Manu Wales’ fierce effort up over the bar.

As Bury legs and minds tired it continued to be one-way traffic and Casey rattled the left-hand post with just over 10 minutes remaining with the ball then bouncing off Kellett-Green and away to safety.

Kellett-Green managed to push Gough’s fierce shot onto his post before also rushing over to keep out another quickfire effort from the loose ball.

Fullah fired wide from range as the game entered its final minute.

But the Bury boys – who boast a 100 per cent winning start of three games in the Thurlow Nunn Youth League Cambridge division including a recent 12-0 thrashing of Thetford Town – were able to leave the pristine Ram Meadow pitch with their heads held high.

Bury: Kellett-Green, Hayward (Jennngs 75’), Edwards (cpt), Harvey, Cowe, Carter (Mouncer 60’), Talbot (Davies 46’), Jolland, Curtis, Lott, Bhujel.

Unused subs: Todd, Hogg, Hopkins, Read (gk).

Booked: Jolland (52’).

Charlton: Sadler, Hunter, Enslin, Gough, Danso, Laqeretabua (Okwumo 77’), Rylah (cpt), Mwamba (Wales 68’), Casey, Fullah, Mbick.

Unused subs: Woodham, Ashburn, Berry, Brown, Reid.

Booked: None.

Attendance: 355.

SuffolkNews Man of the Match: Oliver Kellett-Green. The Bury keeper made a string of fine saves to keep the scoreline respectable.