Bury footballers fail to reach heights of Saturday’s performance
RYMAN LEAGUE
DIVISION ONE NORTH
Bury Town 0
Brightlingsea Regent 1
Full-back James Paterson is confident Tuesday’s disappointing defeat will be looked back on as an anomaly in the Blues’ season.
Bury’s biggest league game of the season (306) were put through a frustrating night as a tigerish display by Brightlingsea left the home side a distinct second best and unable to really trouble goalkeeper Ollie Bowles, who recently moved to the Essex coastal club from Bury’s Suffolk rivals AFC Sudbury.
In the end a scrappy Luke Read strike just after the break, which saw Paterson’s attempted clearance end up in his own net via a deflection, proved to be enough for Brightlingsea Regent to become only the second team to take three points off Bury Town this season.
And the unfortunate number three said he does not forget about individual mistakes, but he will not be beating himself up over this one.
“It was very disappointing. We did well Saturday and we should have taken that into the game today but we just didn’t produce,” he said.
“We should have been better defensively and all around really, but it just wasn’t there.
“I think it was just one of those things. To put it into context, and to be fair to us, it was only the second defeat we have had.
“For our levels that we are trying to hold up it is not good enough, but it is hard to put your finger on what it was, it was a combination of things.”
He added: “We have got to pick faults at the end and decide what we have done bad and need to improve on, but at the end of the day we can’t beat ourselves up about it as we need to move on to the next game and we have a big game Saturday.”
Alex Steed had recovered from the injury which had kept him out of that win over Romford while striker Ollie Hughes was ruled out with a hamstring injured incurred at the weekend, with only three players on the substitutes’ bench.
It was hearts in mouth time as referee Daniel Hanna went to consult his assistant after home goalkeeper Neil O’Sullivan flew off his line and jumped into a challenge to deny Terry Rymer from Brightlingsea’s first attack.
But, with no goalkeeper on the bench, relief swept around Ram Meadow when he produced a yellow card, with home manager Ben Chenery later admitting if he deemed it a booking it should have been red as it looked to be preventing a goalscoring opportunity.
The home support were soon sounding their appreciation as youngster Neol Aitkens sent a fizzing drive over the bar, while Sam Reed and Remi Garrett fired in shots of their own in a promising spell.
The 14th placed Essex visitors continued to look dangerous going forward and Tevan Allen make a crucial interception in the box, while a Jake Tuner long-range effort deflected off Darcy De’ath and spun not far past the post.
Home captain Phil Weavers headed over at the other end as neither side were unable to break the deadlock before the break, while the visitors saw injury rob them of their captain Matthew Cripps.
The second half was only three minutes old when Brightlingsea took the lead after profiting from Paterson’s misfortune after a cross was put in from the left-hand side.
It set the tone for the second half with the R’s continuing to dictate play as they went in search of a second.
There was soon a flurry of bookings going against Bury as the game descended into a scrappy affair with Remi Garrett, substitute John Kennedy and Allen all joining O’Sullivan in the referee’s notebook.
Weavers had to make the most of his positioning on the near post to make a crucial block to keep his side in the game, while he also came to the rescue after O’Sullivan flew out to the left-wing and missed his challenge.
Ollie Canfer, playing against the club he spent last season with, came agonizingly close to sliding home Garrett’s cross after a swashbuckling run down the right wing, while he also did well to flick on Darcy De’ath’s late long throw, but saw Brightlingsea scramble the loose ball clear.
There was to be no late drama though as the R’s travelling support were left celebrating at the final whistle in a result which saw Bury drop a place to sixth on a night where Suffolk rivals AFC Sudbury moved up to second after a last-minute winner (2-1) from ex-Blues’ player Craig Parker at home to Dereham Town.
Bury: O’Sullivan 5, Allen 8, Paterson 5, Steed 5 (Kennedy 54, 6), De’ath 5, Weavers 7, Canfer 6, Aitkens 6, Reed 6, Barber 6 (Nurse 67, 5), Garrett 7. Unused subs: Bedingham. Attendance: 306.
Free Press Man of The Match: Tevan Allen.
