Bury Town 1-1 Cambridge City: Charlie Beckwith unable to keep Jamie Dicks’ 96th-minute corner out following Cemal Ramadan’s opener as missed chances prove costly for title-chasing Blues
Bury Town conceded an equaliser from a 96th-minute corner at home to Cambridge City to let a golden opportunity to reclaim ground in the title race slip through their fingers.
Cemal Ramadan’s fine volleyed finish in the 21st minute, for his 23rd league goal of the campaign, had sent the Blues on their way towards what could and ultimately should have been a return to winning ways in front of an 800-plus crowd at Ram Meadow.
But a failure to take their plentiful chances saw them pay the ultimate price in the dying embers of the game with goalkeeper Charlie Beckwith adjudged to have knocked substitute Jamie Dicks’ tricky near-post corner over his own goalline.
It extended Bury’s winless run to three games and leaves Cole Skuse’s side third in the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division table. With eight games to go the west Suffolk side are three points off new leaders Brentwood Town after they usurped Felixstowe & Walton United with a 95th minute goal to win 3-2 in Essex.
Skuse made two changes from the disappointing 3-1 defeat at Waltham Abbey a week ago with Lewis O’Malley, back available following a work commitment, replacing Joe White in defence while former City player Mikey Davis came in for the injured Ryan Jolland.
Jamie Cureton’s visiting side showed three changes from their dramatic midweek last-gasp 4-4 draw at Concord Rangers. Ed Tassell, former AFC Sudbury man Correy Davidson and Jamie Dicks, all on the bench on Tuesday, replaced Jayden Gipson, Jack Thompson and Ramiah Mills.
Bury’s positive early build-up play saw Luke Brown find the side-netting and have a shot charged down inside the opening seven minutes.
Cambridge’s first chance arrived in the 11th minute when Bury skipper Josh Curry gave possession away cheaply before recent signing Alex Teniola saw his shot blocked ahead of Samarai Gebrai soon sending a weak low shot wide.
The game had been lacking in quality but from nowhere, Bury’s top scorer Ramadan changed that with a sublime volley into the far corner from just inside the area after Ed Tassell could only pop the ball into his path as he tried to head clear in the 21st minute.
With their tails up, Bury went looking to quickly double their advantage with Ethan Mayhew guilty of lifting over the bar from a golden opportunity as he slid in on a deep Ramadan cross.
On the half-hour mark City’s Jamie Dicks screwed a shot wide after a free kick into the box broke back into his path.
After Ed Upson won the ball back high up, a quick Bury move saw Ramadan play in Davis down the left side of the box with his shot palmed away for a corner by former Needham Market and AFC Sudbury stopper James Philp.
The Liliywhites soon went as close as they had come when Dicks curled just over the bar from a nice tee-off on the edge of the box.
An end-to-end finale to the half continued with Philip coming out to block Davis’ next shot from another Ramadan throughball before the former Haverhill Rovers keeper had to scoop out a dangerous ball across his six-yard box.
Brown also got an effort away in the final minute of the half, from a Dylan Williams’ slipped pass, which Philp gathered at the second attempt.
As the sides headed in for the interval, there was no doubt the latter had kept his side from having a big challenge to get back into the game.
And he was at it again after the restart, pushing former Lilywhites player Taylor Parr’s near-post header around his post from a corner.
Bury, who had Ryan Horne on for Williams from the start of the second period, was fortunate to get away with Parr’s air shot at attempting to clear a cross with Charlie Beckwith quickly coming to claim the bouncing ball.
Brown fired just wide from the edge of the box up the other end while Maughn was just unable to get a telling touch on a throughball that had Philp racing off his line.
Bury continued to press for the key second goal with Ramadan rolling wide of the far post from a good cut-back pass from Maughn.
Brown was the next to have his head in his hands after putting past the same post from another low Maughn cross which caused panic in the City box.
Bury boss Skuse was shown a yellow card in the 64th minute for his remonstrations with the referee, following City’s first substitutions.
His side, who had got out of a muddle playing out the back, threatened from a corner but Curry, running backwards to get Davis’ inswinger, was unable to keep his header down at the far post.
Beckwith had to come to Bury’s rescue with 20 minutes to go, saving a fierce near-post shot from substitute Jack Thompson after a loose pass got them in trouble, before firsting away a corner conceded from Davis’ mis-calculated header back.
O’Malley made a key tackle as City broke with numbers during what had been an uncomfortable spell for the home supporters.
With 10 minutes to go the Blues began to sense the urgency for another goal and, after Philp turned a Maughn angled effort round his near post, a Davis corner dropped back out for Parr who lashed his shot well over the bar.
A long throw from City sub Ramiah Mills was only half cleared before Gebrai’s follow-up was sent spinning wide with a block ahead of O’Malley getting in front of a fierce strike from Alfie Mason.
With Bury coming under heavy pressure, Beckwith clawed away a dangerous deep delivery from Mason before O’Malley and the keeper combined to keep the ball out ahead of a foul going in their favour.
As five additional minutes were signalled, Teniola, who the Bury defence had kept pretty quiet, looped a header over the bar from a left-sided cross.
But it was a late corner, as the clock ticked over to 96 that proved their undoing as Dicks whipped the ball into the near post and Charlie Beckwith was unable to keep it out as it flew by Davis, going down as the keeper’s own goal.
The seconds that remained saw Bury get the ball into the City half but it was not enough time to send the ball towards goal as the final whistle brought despair for the home fans and jubilation for the travelling support.
It was the second game running the latter had seen their side claim a last-gasp point, though the result saw them drop a place to 10th in the table.
Skuse will look to pick his deflated side up ahead of bidding to bounce back at home to sixth-placed Tilbury next Saturday (3pm).
Bury: Beckwith, Parr, O’Malley, Upson (Canfer 74’), Curry (cpt), Mayhew, Maughn, Williams (Horne 46’), Ramadan (Curtis 74’), Brown (White 89’), Davis.
Unused subs: Pinyoun.
Booked: Parr (37’), Maughn (53’)
Cambridge: Philp, Ashley, Mason, Randell, Tassel, Davidson (Mills 63’), Teniola, Gebrai, Carter (King 89’), Mubiayi (Thompson 63’), Dicks.
Unused subs: Cureton, Coxall.
Booked: Samuel Carter (37’)
Attendance: 848
SuffolkNews Man of the Match: Hard to pick one in the circumstances but defender Lewis O’Malley barely put a foot wrong and deserved to have been part of a shutout as did keeper Beckwith until the unfortunate denouement.
