Bury Town bring in Ipswich Town Under-18s forward Jamie Mauge - son of former Plymouth Argyle player Ronnie Mauge - for title run-in

Title-chasing Bury Town have boosted their forward line with the addition of Ipswich Town Under-18s player Jamie Mauge on a work experience loan with Paul Musgrove believing he can be a real ‘asset’ for the run-in.

Mauge, the son of former Plymouth Argyle and Trinidad & Tobago midfielder Ronnie, joined the Blues from Needham Market’s youth set-up as an under-15s player.

The 17-year-old - who is understood to have worn the captain’s armband for the U18s - got his first taste of senior football coming off the bench for the final half-an-hour in Bury’s disappointing 4-1 defeat at third-placed Brentwood Town on Tuesday.

And ahead of the Blues, who remain in second in the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division on goal difference from Felixstowe & Walton United, travelling to eighth-placed Walthamstow tomorrow (3pm) and a rearranged home game with mid-table Maldon & Tiptree (7.45pm), assistant manager Musgrove is excited for the impact he could have.

“We were looking for another option in the forward areas and obviously Cole (Skuse, manager) has good contacts there with the likes of David Wright (Ipswich’s head of player development U21-U15).

“It seems to have proved to be the right thing to do as now Ollie Canfer has an injury that is probably going to keep him out for a week.

“Luke Brown went off to America and back within a week last week, so again we just needed another option and Jamie fitted what we wanted.

“He’s got a good profile, obviously in a hell of a set-up there and he’s got good attributes. He came on the other night and really impressed us.”

Asked where he sees him playing, he said: “We’ve brought him in as centre-forward, he can play attacking midfield as well.

“He’s been brought up in the right way so I’m sure he’s played many positions as they do in the 18s and the 21s.

“I’m sure between now and the end of the season he’ll be an asset to us and hopefully we can give him a little bit of exposure to men’s football to help him on his way.”

Reflected on the Blues’ 4-1 defeat - a first loss in five league games - at Brentwood, which had seen them take a 13th-minute lead through Ryan Jolland, before going into the break at 1-1, he said: “In the first half we were good, but in the second half they came out and really put it on us and we didn’t withstand that pressure, if I’m honest.

“We showed a little bit of immaturity, I would say, just in our defensive third from front to back, which we hadn’t seen for a while.

“I always say, yes, you’re going to get losses, but it’s how you bounce back and we’ve got to bounce back.

“We’ve got Walthamstow and Maldon & Tiptree again in the next seven days.”

Meanwhile, Stuart Boardley’s Felixstowe head into a run of three straight home games with the visit of 18th-placed Sporting Bengal United (3pm).