Ben Fowkes scores late on to send Leiston through in Suffolk Premier Cup at Bury Town
An 88th-minute strike from Ben Fowkes coupled with a heroic goalkeeping display from Billy Johnson saw Leiston knock Bury Town out of the Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup at the first hurdle with a 1-0 away win in west Suffolk.
Chris Wigger and Darren Eadie’s side were undoubtedly the better side against their lower-level hosts but could not find a way past the excellent Charlie Beckwith.
It looked like the much delayed first-round tie, taking plavce on the same night as the quarter-finals – two stages on – began was heading to a penalty shootout with Leiston having looked much the more likely but having passed up several golden chances.
But with both sides having been denied by the crossbar, the deadlock was finally broken by the unmarked Fowkes, who guided home a right-wing cross with a flick of his boot, having slipped in between a sizeable gap between two defenders.
The in-form Pitching In Southern League Premier Central team – who had taken seven out of nine points from their last three away games and won their last two to sit 14th in the table – will now host divisional rivals Lowest Town in the second round.
Bury had gone into Saturday’s home game with Waltham Abbey top of the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division and looking for a fifth straight win, but are now facing up to back-to-back defeats that has left them down in third and out of their last of three cup competitions, following early exits also in the FA Cup and FA Trophy.
Cole Skuse made five changes from Saturday’s disappointing 2-0 defeat to Waltham Abbey, with Lewis O’Malley returning to the heart of the defence, following a family commitment, in place of the suspended Taylor Parr.
Teenagers Theo Carter and Alfie Pinyoun came into the midfield along with Ryan Horne and Tom Thulborn with Ethan Mayhew moving onto the bench after failing a late fitness test which saw Joe White take over his number eight shirt.
It was a strong Leiston line-up but they were given a scare early on as Luke Brown saw a free kick deflected over the bar before White’s header from Mikey Davis’ corner bounced straight up into Johnson’s gloves.
From then on it was the visitors who took control, helped by some misplaced passes from Bury’s players, with Jack Manly forcing Beckwith to push his shot round the post while he was also equal to Albie Armin’s low shot from range.
It was former Ipswich Town professional Manly, who signed for Leiston following his release from the Tractor Boys in the summer, who then brought another extended save out of Beckwith just before the half-hour mark.
Bury started to move the ball about more confidently but with managing to penetrate the Leiston backline.
A loose pass from Brown saw Harley Curtis fire wide before Fowkes drew a fine low save from Beckwith after turning his pair of markers inside out in the box.
Bury survived back-to-back corners as the half came to an end in a first 45 minutes which had seem them ride their luck at times.
Leiston passed up a good chance to take the lead within 90 seconds of the second half getting under way with Benjamin Batho sending in a delicious cross from the left-hand side that the unmarked Ismael Fatadjo volleyed over when it looked easier to hit the gaping goal.
The Bury goal continued to come under pressure and following a corner a chipped effort beat Beckwith only to bounce back off the face of his crossbar.
Skuse was forced into his first change as Ryan Horne signalled some discomfort before hobbling off in the 55th minute with Ed Upson his replacement.
Thulborn went close with a shot from a moving ball blocked on the edge of box while at the other end Curry blocks Ollie Saunders’ shot in the box after he was slipped through with some neat interplay past the hour mark.
Both teams utilised their benches for fresh legs before Bury created a rare sight of goal entering the final 20 minutes. Brown swung in a deep cross to the far post but Ramadan was always craning his neck awkwardly back to try and direct it on target and it was comfortable for Johnson to claim.
Up the other end Fowkes missed a golden opportunity sliding in on a great left-wing cross while a few minutes later it was Bury’s turn to be denied by the woodwork. Davis’ fierce angled shot looked destined for the top corner but was tipped against the bar by Johnson before O’Malley got his header all wrong from a subsequent corner.
Beckwith made a near-post save among a crowded box following a corner not being cleared before a wild effort from Brown went well over up the other end while Bury relieved some pressure inside the last 10 minutes with an attack which saw Davis send the ball rolling agonizingly past the far post.
The telling moment came with two minutes to go when a pinpoint cross found Fowkes in acres of space between White and Thulborn and the former Needham Market striker turned the ball in at Beckwith’s right-hand post.
As four additional minutes were shown to the 300-plus crowd, Bury upped their efforts when Ramadan met a Davis cross on the run but Johnson was well positioned to smother it.
There was a big moment two minutes into the three when Curry was adamant he should have had a penalty under a challenge from substitute Kyran Clements but referee Liam Botten was unmoved.
There was still time for Brown to be denied by a great reflect save and Johnson then sprung up to touch Upson’s header over the bar before claiming the next corner from Davis.
With Beckwith having gone up for a corner, it was left to Carter to sprint back and draw the applause of the home crowd by turning cleverly inside his box.
But it was too late for Bury to save themselves from another cup exit with the focus now fully left on gaining promotion to Leiston’s level, having missed out in extra-time of last season’s play-offs at the semi-final stage.
They will now dust themselves down before heading across the western border this weekend to face former professional Jamie Cureton’s Cambridge City side on Sunday (3pm), with the game having been moved from the Saturday due to their ground-sharing with St Ives Town who are at home that day.
It is then quickly followed by a trip to Newmarket Town to play on another 4G pitch next Tuesday (7.45pm).
Meanwhile, Leiston being the first of three straight home matches in 10 days with the visit of second-placed Samford on Saturday (3pm).
Bury: Beckwith, Carter, O’Malley, Pinyoun (Maughn 65’), Curry (cpt), Horne (Upson 55’), Thulborn, White, Ramadan, Brown, Davis.
Unused subs: Jolland, Maughn, Mayhew, Kellett-Green (gk).
Booked: None.
Leiston: Johnson, Yun, Batho (Fraser 68’), Armin (Quantrell 63’), Jackson, Fatajo, Saunders, Fowkes, Manly (Clements 75’), Curtis, Hill (cpt).
Unused subs: Ryan Jarvis, Rossi Jarvis.
Booked: Armin (30’)
Referee: Liam Botten
Attendance: 338
SuffolkNews Man of the Match: For much of the tie it looked like Bury keeper Charlie Beckwith had his name written on this award, but it was his opposite number, Billy Johnson who proved to be the match winner with his second-half saves, particularly two in added time.
