Bury Town blow away rivals AFC Sudbury with four goals in a clinical first half to halve the gap to the play-off places
Four goals in 18 first-half minutes saw Bury Town claim a famous 4-1 New Year's Day derby victory at old rivals AFC Sudbury in front of a 700-plus crowd at The MEL Group Stadium this afternoon.
Max Maughn opened the scoring with a close-range lob in the 24th minute before Jake Chambers Shaw converted from a loose ball in the area within a minute.
More poor defending followed and Ipswich Town loanee Ross Crane duly punished his former club with an exquisite volley in the 40th minute. Cemal Ramadan then \caught the Yellows cold again within two minutes with a lob from the edge of the area.
Sudbury, who made all three changes at the break, were much improved in the second half but debutant Sakariya Hassan's close-range finish in the 62nd minute was no more than a consolation a painful day for their supporters.
It leaves the Yellows on the back of three straight defeats to drop a place to seventh in the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division table.
Meanwhile, the three points moved Bury up two places to ninth but crucially cut the gap to the top five play-off zone in half to three points with a game in hand still on fifth-placed Grays Athletic.
Ben Chenery made just one change from the 1-1 home draw with leaders Stowmarket Town on Monday – a third straight draw – with Ryan Horne returning to the midfield in place of Ipswich Town loanee Zak Bradshaw, who was not in the squad.
With their December 27 fixture at Coggeshall Town falling victim to a water-logged pitch, Sudbury managers Rick Andrews and Angelo Harrop put out a side featuring two changes from their last league outing, the 3-0 away defeat which put Stowmarket Town top 11 days ago.
Reece Harris came in at left-back and Cruis Nyadzayo returned to the attack with recent signing Roman Michael-Percil – who was not in the squad – and youngster Josh Stokes the two making way.
The home bench featured two new signings with returning academy graduate Harry Critchley joined by the unannounced addition of midfielder Sakariya Hassan. The central midfielder had started the season with higher-league Hornchurch before impressing against AFC following a switch to divisional rivals Barking.
In front of a big crowd Sudbury threatened first but the offside flag was raised after Sam Blair pushed away a close-range header from George Keys following a free kick bouncing into the area.
Bury began to get on top with a couple of balls fizzing across the face of the goal before Ramadan pulled back for Ryan Stafford with his low angled shot in the eighth minute pushed round his near post by Alfie Stronge.
Crane almost found the head of Ramadan with a shot-cum-cross before, up the other end, Sudbury skipper Lewis O'Malley blazed over from 30 yards.
Another effort followed for the hosts but Wall was always stretching to head Laste Dombaxe's cross and sent it harmlessly wide of the far post.
It was Bury who opened the scoring in the 24th minute when Joe Hood's ball into the box saw Chambers Shaw control without a challenge and played in Maughn who lifted the ball well over the onrushing Stronge from an angle.
Within a minute it was 2-0 as Sudbury failed to clear their lines from a left-wing cross and the ball bobbled around the box before falling invitingly for Chambers Shaw who coolly dispatched it with a low shot.
The shell shocked Yellows created a good opportunity from which to half the deficit in the 31st minute but Joe Hood made a great last-ditch sliding challenge on Nyadzayo as he was about to pull the trigger after a strong run into the area.
Shortly after Clowlsey was found all alone in the area from a precise Key cross but sent his header well over.
They were to prove costly misses as Bury hit them with another pair of goals inside two minutes of each other to double their advantage.
From a 40th minute throw-in, Sudbury could not get the ball clear and Crane saw a defensive header fall into his path on the edge of the area before firing a great volley inside the left-hand post.
Soon after they were celebrating again as Ramadan broke clear down the left and lobbed the ball over the on-rushing Stronge from just outside the left-hand corner of the 18-yard box, with Shaw's attempt to hook it off the line failing.
Sudbury's management duo reacted by using all three substitutes new signings Critchley and Hassan entering the fray along with Stokes in place of O'Malley, Andrews and Nyadzayo. Centre-back Grimwood took over the captain's armband.
The hosts came out with a newfound determination with Stokes and Clowsley both soon sending volleys off target.
They kept up the pressure and were eventually rewarded with a goal in the 62nd minute when debutant Hassan was first to a rebound from Blair's parried save from a fierce Wall effort and he duly dispatched from close-range.
Bury finally threatened again 21 minutes from time but Ramdan sent his header wide from a deep Crane Ross.
Norwich City loanee goalkeeper Blair pulled off a good save to deny a thunderous Wall shot after Hassan played him in with a cute nutmeg with the defence on hand to clear the loose ball this time around.
Shaw converted from close-range in the 89th minute but the referee had rightly penalised Wall for a shove on Blair as he came to claim a cross.
Five minutes of stoppage time passed without any further chances with Bury's players and supporters then celebrating a memorable derby victory over their old rivals.
While the Blues will be looking to build on it with another three points when they welcome mid-table Felixstowe & Walton United on Monday (1pm), Sudbury will be desperate to bounce back at lowly Witham Town in their later kick-off (3pm).
AFC Sudbury: Stronge, Keys, Harris, Dombaxe, Grimwood, O'Malley (Critchley 46'), Nyadzayo (Stokes 46'), Clowsley, Shaw, Wall, Andrews (Hassan 46'). Unused subs: Purcell, Smith.
Bury Town: Blair, Edwards, Stafford, Fenn (c) (White 64'), Hood, Maughn, Chambers-Shaw (Snaith 46'), Horne, Jolland, Ramadan (Gilchrist 76'), Crane. Unused subs: Mills, Haddock.
Attendance: 712
SuffolkNews Man of The Match: A difficult one to pick from what was a real team performance but Ross Crane showed his class with his goal and caused the home defence numerous problems.
