Haverhill Rovers beat Bury Town in five-goal thriller to lift Veo Under-18s Midweek Cup Final at Colchester United’s Jobserve Community Stadium

Micky Cipriani’s second-half strike helped Haverhill Rovers win the Suffolk FA Veo Under-18s Midweek Cup Final in a five-goal thriller against Bury Town at Colchester United’s Jobserve Community Stadium.

Harry Zachariou’s youngsters edged the tie 3-2, having obtained a two-goal lead, thanks to Cipriani’s low effort, 13 minutes from time, that trickled into the bottom-left corner past Ollie Kellett in the Bury goal – which proved to be the only notable action from a second half that was a complete contrast to the action-packed end-to-end first period that came before it.

Joshua Evans – who has had spells in the Rovers first team – gave Haverhill the lead with a cultured finish into the roof of the net, moments after he skimmed the post with a header, before their advantage was swiftly doubled by Fraser Bull as the final looked like it would be a routine victory for Rovers.

How wrong that proved to be, as Bury, who sit nine points below Haverhill in the Thurlow Nunn Youth League Cambridge Division table, picked themselves up and got right back in the cup tie, when Teddy Hogg’s high-hanging header from a free kick nestled into the far corner.

With a shift in momentum, Bury’s pressure forced a mistake in the Rovers back line that was punished by captain Ben Curtis – who could not miss as he pounced on the error to level the contest from close range.

The goals and the chances dried up until Cipriani’s winner, which confirmed the cup would be heading to Haverhill.

After a quiet opening 10 minutes, with both sides attempting to settle down under the pressure, Rovers came a lick of paint away from taking the lead. Flynn Bobby attacked down the left and delivered an inch-perfect cross to Evans but his glancing header skimmed the outside of the post.

The New Croft outfit started to find their groove and soon enough, on 11 minutes, Rovers did get their noses in front. This time it was Ciapriani teed up Evans inside the penalty area, and the number nine poked home after some neat close control in the box – sending the ball into the roof of the net.

Bury barely had time to launch an inquest into how Evans was allowed that much space to shoot before Rovers came charging at them again, to net their second goal in as many minutes. A well-weighted defence-splitting pass from Sonny Tully played Bull through on goal, who kept his cool to roll the ball into the bottom-left corner, with Bury goalkeeper Kellett rooted to the goalline.

Jolland’s side did not rest on their laurels and – after they survived a wave of Rovers pressure – they halved the deficit with their first shot on target, as Hogg’s looping header back across goal landed into the far corner from a deep Harry Harvey free kick.

An emphatically frantic first half was not done there. Curtis, who looked up for the tie from the word go, caught Milo Barton napping in the box, robbed the Rovers defender of possession before calmly slotting home. The captain seizing his opportunity to pull Bury level seven minutes before the break – leaving Rovers boss Zachariou with his head in his hands on the sideline.

Haverhill struggled to find much joy in Bury’s half having been pegged back. Evans tried to restore their advantage in first-half stoppage time, but his effort deflected comfortably into the gloves of Kellett.

As is often the case with an action-packed first half, the second never tends to produce the same drama. Chances were at a premium, with both sides wasteful in possession and struggling to get a grip on the tie.

The first real opening for any player came on 72 minutes when Cipriani drove at the Bury box before he fired his effort high and wide of the target. But, he was to be the hero moments later. The former Cambridge United youngster found himself in a similar position, and his low effort found the bottom-left corner as it trickled past a helpless Kellett.

Bury Town Under-18s: Kellett, Harvey, Edwards, Cowe, Hogg, Carter, Hopkins, Jolland, Curtis, Lee, Thomas.

Roll-on-roll-off substitutes: Hayward, Lott, Bhujel, Gregory, Talbot.

Haverhill Rovers Under-18s: Smith, Tully, Goddard, Barton, Cipriani, Bull, Zachariou, Evans, Child, Bobby, Hopkins.

Roll-on-roll-off substitutes: King, Powell, Batterbee, Baxter.

Suffolk News Man of the Match: Theo Goddard – Ran himself into the ground for Rovers and, as well as his combative nature, he showed great technical ability to start multiple Haverhillattacks.