Bury Town 1-1 Cambridge City: Blues boss Cole Skuse on where his frustration lies in last-gasp draw and unsavoury post-match scenes from celebrating visitors
Bury Town manager Cole Skuse feels his title-chasing side shot themselves in the foot by failing to take more than one of a multitude of chances in the 1-1 home draw with Cambridge City on Saturday.
The Blues boss was also critical of the opposition staff for the way they allowed their players to continue their celebrations of a 96th-minute equaliser from substitute Jamie Dicks’ last-gasp corner in a taunting manner after coming off the pitch.
Cemal Ramadan’s expertly-measured dripping volley had put the hosts ahead in the 21st minute in front of a crowd of 848 at the Getaway Cars Stadium in west Suffolk on Saturday.
But as the chances came and went for Bury from thereon in, there proved to be a late twist in the tale as three points turned to one with goalkeeper Charlie Beckwith unable to get enough on Dick’s tricky corner to keep it out at his near post.
It left Skuse’s side remaining in third spot in the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division table, now three points off new leaders Brentwood Town, who scored twice in added-on time to win 3-2 in controversial fashion at home to now second-placed Felixstowe & Walton United. In-form Waltham Abbey’s latest win also puts them one point behind Bury and four off top spot ahead of hosting Felixstowe on Saturday as the top four begin their final eight matches.
Speaking in the dugout after Saturday’s game in west Suffolk, Skuse was more annoyed at the failure to extend their lead than their lackadaisical defending for the late equaliser.
“You cannot be that dominant for a 90-minute spell - that's slightly unfair on them as they probably had a five to six-minute spell towards the latter part of the game - pass up as many chances as we did and then be overly frustrated and angry after the outcome of conceding a late goal.
“You cannot miss as many as we did. And when I say miss, clear-cut chances.
“And this isn't individualised towards the two boys that play up top because they've been involved in a couple of chances but as a collective, If I was to say we missed 15 clear-cut chances within their 18-yard box, I think I'd still be being kind.
“The manner in which we conceded is avoidable but individual mistakes happen in football, I get it.
“But my elements of frustration are towards the, I'm not going to say negligence, but let's just say the missed chances in the top end of the pitch have ultimately undone us today.”
Former Ipswich Town midfielder Skuse also revealed his displeasure with the way the City players continued to react with some unsavoury language outside their dressing room door.
“Celebrating a goal in the last minute of a game, absolutely fine. You celebrate your goal, you celebrate your goal on the pitch, done, never an issue,” he said.
“But then for members of their staff, and I say their staff, because I know all our staff are in the changing room listening to a talk that we're having. When you get members of their staff, and you can hear it, we're blessed in the sense that our changing rooms aren't massive, the walls are paper-thin, you can hear they on everything. To hear some of the stuff that some of their fellas are shouting, it really sours your taste.
“And to be involved with, let not beat around the bush, there's guys that sit behind the dugout in the main stand that have been coming for a long, long time, and they're of a mature age, they don't need to be shouted at in the manner in which they're shouted at.
“I'm coming across like it's slightly sour, not in the slightest. But to hear the stuff that you're hearing, and for them to be acting the way they're acting, it's not my position to put them down, because they're not my members of staff.
“I’m not too keen on that, to be honest.”
Despite the disappointing outcome of the game - the second home match running that they’ve been held to a 1-1 draw following on from Heybridge Swifts - Skuse felt there was some ‘really, really good stuff’ but felt it was undone by their composure in the final third.
“To progress like we did in the smooth manner in which we did to get to the top end of the pitch, really, really good,” he said.
“Then that little bit of care where you get all the best players in the world that earn all the best money in the world, because they have got that sort of fire and ice, they can play at a real, real tempo. But as soon as they get to that top end, it's so cold and so cold and composed. We didn't have it today.
“So that's where my frustration is. I'm not worried about that (the result).
“Of course, it would be lovely to pick up the three points and keep us right in that sort of mess at the top end of the table, but we’ll be there or thereabouts at the end of the season and it's going to be incredibly tight. There will be points dropped everywhere, as there was today, so we'll see.”
Skuse, who explained he was shown a yellow card in the second half for failing to enforce only two members of his coaching staff standing in the technical area, revealed he took midfielder Dylan Williams off at half-time due to a known illness.
“We'd done well to get Dylan to half-time, to be honest,” he said.
“He's an incredibly talented player; he's been brilliant for us since he's come in, especially in recent weeks.
“But he was really, really poorly before the game.
“His first-half performance was really good. I said, look, stretch (the game) as best you can.
“He wanted to come out the second half, but I just felt that I was doing the poor lad a disservice.
“And we've got incredible depth. We've got someone like Ryan Horne coming off the bench.
He's an incredible footballer. So that was that one.”
Bury will look to end their winless run at the current three matches when they host a Tilbury side on Saturday (3pm) who lie one place and six points off Brightlingsea Regent in the last play-off spot.
“They've still got an awful lot to play for, as did these today,” said Skuse.
“It's amazing as a manager, even the season you're in, without getting too far ahead of yourself, you're looking to prep the best way you can for the following season, regardless of what position.
“So Tilbury may feel that they've got a great opportunity to get in the play-offs, but also to build a real good group for next season.
“So like anyone, we never take anyone lightly. Anyone and everyone that comes here or
wherever we go, we give the utmost respect. We won't fear anybody.”
And he will be hoping their home crowd, which has put them top of that particular table, averaging 608 behind Camnbridge’s 497 and Felixstowe’s 387, can continue to play their part this weekend.
“Yes, incredible,” he said of the 848 number being relayed to him. “And it's huge. The noise as well helps and they brought a good crowd.
“We had a real good cluster behind the goal that made some noise.
“So it helps us and we're forever appreciative of anyone and everyone that parts with their hard-earned money to come watch us play. It's massive for us.”
