Three more players sidelined as Bury Town lose AFC Sudbury midweek derby clash in league
Bury Town have lost three more first-team players to injury over the past week, to rub salt in the wound of Tuesday night’s 3-0 away defeat to derby rivals AFC Sudbury.
Goalkeeper Daniel Barden – Norwich City academy loanee – suffered a haematoma to his knee while midfielder Ryan Jolland’s thigh strain saw him also fall victim in Saturday’s 2-1 home win over Dereham Town in the BetVictor Isthmian League North Division clash, before Ryan Stafford rolled his ankle in the Sudbury league encounter.
Manager Ben Chenery described the fourth-placed side’s injury list as ‘extraordinary’, with nine first-team players now sidelined.
He said: “We’re suffering really at the moment with injuries, the list is as big as I have had in my managerial career so that’s one reason (for the Sudbury defeat).
“We’ve got some really important players missing and I think it’s credit to the players they have kept going against adversity, because the injury list is quite extraordinary.
“To win a league or have a successful campaign, you need to have all your best players fit, and you need to have a bit of luck with injuries and suspensions.
“And it’s just one after the other with injuries at the moment, so we need some luck and for something to go our way because we’re decimated at the moment.
“Saturday was a massive result and three points from six with the injuries we’ve got is a good return; I wanted four but it is what it is.”
Bury began the better team on Tuesday night at the King’s Marsh Stadium, with former Sudbury academy star turned Blues player Ross Crane threatening the goal with a shot just wide of the post on 12 minutes, before Bury again had the best of the early chances with Lounes Foudil firing over on 20 minutes.
He then combined with Tommy Smith to hit AFC on the counter in the 25th minute but Crane’s shot was then blocked. A minute later and Bury’s early pressure proved fruitless as Reece Harris netted from the home side’s first real look at goal.
Harris beat the advancing George Bugg – drafted in as Barden’s replacement – on the edge of the area before dribbling past the young keeper and dodging two defenders to ensure a clear shot at goal.
Walker made the first of a number of key interventions to deny Joe Hood a minute later, as he tipped the ball wide from a close range toe tap.
Tom Maycock then shot straight at Bugg in the 37th minute as the half ended with just the one goal.
Harris’s injury troubles resurfaced but replacement Cassell made the most of his opportunity with a score.
Walker saved an Olly Hughes shot in the 50th minute as Bury had the majority of shots on target, despite Sudbury dominating possession and winning the midfield battle.
But it was the home side that netted a second in the 52nd minute, as Bury could do nothing but watch as Callum Harrison’s corner kick found the top corner.
Walker once more denied Hughes in the 64th minute as he got low to tip away a close range header, before Cassell calmly slotted home from a Bailey-Dennis header across the face of goal in the 71st minute for Sudbury’s third score of the night.
Bury kept pushing, with chances for substitutes Cruise Nyadzayo and Quevin Castro, but lacked a killer touch in front of goal.
Chenery said: “The first 15 minutes we should really have been ahead, we had two really good chances and, as the away team, you really have to capitalise on those opportunities and score, we didn’t and then we were punished at the other end.
“We huffed and puffed with a lot of opportunities and chances, but their goalkeeper was really good and made some really good saves and that was the difference really.
“All credit to him for stopping us from finding the back of the net. Sudbury made it their cup final in lots of ways, we were a little bit lacklustre at times, and the way they celebrated is credit to us, it shows we are a big scalp to beat.
Liam Bennett (Y) and Tommy Smith (O) battle in AFC Sudbury 3-0 home win over Bury Town in ILN. Picture: Clive Pearson (28420296)
“I’ve said to my players to understand that ‘we are a big scalp now and we’ve created that, so we are to be shot at and we have to improve again’.
“This won’t define us this result, it never does, what will define us is the end of the season – and there will be many more twists and turns between now and then and other teams will probably have their own blips.
“We’re riding this storm quite well and our main focus remains that top five. So we move on now.”
Bury: Bugg, Stafford (Castro 65’), Smith, Hood, Henderson (Maughn 56’), White, Foudil (Nyadzayo 46’), Edwards, Ramadan, Hughes, Crane.
Attendance: 518
* Bury Town are set to host Histon tomorrow (3pm), looking for their first win over them this season; having first exited the FA Cup to them before losing the reverse league fixture 3-0.
Chenery said: “They like the long ball and they’re a physical side and we need to be able to deal with that. But we’re in good health in terms of league position and we’re doing really well considering.”
* Stafford (85’) and Cemal Ramadan (94’ pen) scored late last Saturday to beat Dereham 2-1.
