Mark Morsley feels AFC Sudbury lost Isthmian League derby at Bury Town on a 'dubious penalty and a mad 15 minutes'
AFC Sudbury manager Mark Morsley feels the young players in his side will learn a lot from their 3-0 derby defeat at Bury Town on Tuesday.
The sides, who had been separated by 10 places in the BetVictor Isthmian League North Division table after five matches with Bury up in fourth spot, had gone into the interval level pegging thanks to some fine saves from both goalkeepers.
But Sudbury, who had started the second half as the brighter team, then hit the self-destruct button by conceding the first of two penatlies within a 15 minute period just before the hour mark. Cemal Ramadan made no mistake with both and within a minute of his second former AFC striker Olly Hughes glanced in a cross from their ex-academy teenage sensation Ross Crane to put the result beyond any doubt.
“I was really pleased with my team for an hour,” said Morsley.
“I thought tactically we got it right. I know that Bury had a lot of corners and free kicks in the first half which we were happy to deal with but they had one shot on goal in the first hour. We had better chances than them, really.
“But it has turned on a dubious penalty and then a mad 15 minutes.
“I can never quite understand when the referee is in better positioned than the linesman and the referee does not give a penalty and the linesman is the wrong side of the player and gives it. But there you go, I’m not going to whinge about that; that’s life.
“After that it is a stonewall penalty and it is just a poor mistake. Then from our corner we have been done on the counter-attack again.”
But the Yellows manager manager, whose side have dropped to 16th in the table following Saturday’s 2-0 loss at Hullbridge Sports leaving them on back-to-back defeats, believes his side can learn from where they went wrong.
“Ben (Chenery, Bury manager) has put together a good side here and I think without the errors we really could have gone on and won the game,” he said.
“We were on the front foot more at the start of the second half and you are thinking this is a really good start and then that happened and then you’ve lost your way a little bit. It is disappointing but it happens.
“There are five, six, seven lads out there who would have suffered that and then the next time it happens they will remember that pain and they will take it into the next game.”
Morsley brought winger Reece Harris back into the side following his trip abroad and changed to a flat back four with Lewis O’Malley starting at right-back ahead of Liam Bennett.
It was Bury who were quickest out of the starting blocks with Baris Altintop making a good block to deny Hughes before his second effort was pushed away by Walker’s diving save. The AFC keeper then tipped over an effort from another former Yellow in Ryan Horne before a deep Ryan Jolland cross bounced out off the top of the upright.
Up the other end Daniel Barden was also soon called into action to rush off his line to block Ben Hunter’s shot before Tom Mayock sent a header just wide.
Walker turned a Hughes effort around his near post before Barden had to do likewise from Hunter after a good move involving Maycock and Sean Marks.
Bury striker Ramadan found himself behind the defence only to fire an angled shot wide of the far post as the first half somehow came to an end without a goal.
Hunter forced another good block out of Barden after Joe Hood was caught out dribbling across his own penalty area before the on-loan Norwich City keeper produced a great low save to turn a Hunter thunderbolt through a crowd of players around his post.
But with Bury having barely laid a glove on their opponents since the re-start they were celebrating a penalty in the 57th minute, after a few discussions between the match officials, after new signing Rob Harvey was adjudged to have played Ryan Stafford instead of the ball.
Ramadan sent Walker the wrong way and the domineering Bury of the first half were suddenly back pushing for another.
It was not until the 73rd minute that it arrived though, again via Ramadan from the penalty spot, with Walker not able to get to it after correctly going to his right. There was no doubt about this one though with O’Malley’s swinging leg missing the ball but catching Ipswich Town loannee Colin Oppong.
Within a minute it was game, set and match as the Blues broke at speed from defending a corner and Crane cut in from the left before firing in a cross from which Hughes deftly glanced in with a fine header.
Morsley tried to kickstart something with a triple substitution but their race was up and only a superb save from Walker denied Crane the fourth from an precise free kick inside the last 10 minutes.
Not to be outdone, Barden also shone late on as he denied Marks’ powerful effort before seeing the flag had already gone up for offside.
Morsley said he will give his players a week off before returning to training a week tonight ahead of their return to league action.
AFC Sudbury: Walker, O’Malley, Whight (c), Holland, Grimwood, Altintop, Maycock (Hammett 78’), Hunter, Marks, Harris (Bennett 78’), Harvey (Mayhew 78’). Subs not used: Dettmar, Gould (gk). Att: 443
Free Press Man of the Match: Paul Walker. Made some top saves, once again.
