Bury Town hit Enfield for six in Ram Meadow finale to put Cole Skuse’s side in pole position for home play-off tie
Bury Town celebrated the club’s ‘Community Day’ in style as a 6-0 victory against lowly Enfield, coupled with results going their way, left them in pole position to claim home advantage in the semi-finals of the play-offs going into the final weekend.
Cole Skuse’s side had gone into their last regular season home game in the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division in fifth position, knowing that the second and third spots will host the first of two knockout play-off rounds.
Following the previous Saturday’s 1-1 draw away at Walthamstow, where the sides around them all capitalised with maximum points, it ended up being a perfect day for the Blues this time around as they rose to third place as Brentwood Town (2-0 at home to Brightlingsea Regent) and Felixstowe & Walton United (1-0 away to Gorleston) both slipped up.
Second-placed Bowers & Pitsea also lost (4-2 at home to Walthamstow) meaning Bury will travel to 13th-placed Redbridge – who won 5-0 at Ipswich Wanderers – next Saturday (3pm) knowing a victory would guarantee them a home tie in the play-off semi-finals a week on Tuesday. And the prospect of a guaranteed home final is also in view if Bowers were to suffer another defeat to overturn the two-point gap to the runners-up spot.
The surprising set of results also meant Suffolk rivals Lowestoft Town have now been crowned champions to claim the single automatic promotion spot.
It was a fluent attacking display which saw Bury return to winning ways with two goals inside the opening eight minutes – a deflected effort from Luke Brown’s shot and a Cemal Ramadan swivel shot – quickly putting them in firm control.
Olie Yun’s half volley on 23 minutes went in off goalkeeper George Edgeworth after coming back off the post for the third.
But there was no let-up in Bury’s hunger for more and Yun ensured his named got on the scoresheet when finishing some pinball in the box within four minutes of the second half starting.
A fine solo effort from the standout Max Maughn made it five before the hour mark and Ryan Jolland completed the rout two minutes from time after going past the stranded goalkeeper.
Coaches and players from Bury Town Community, which encompasses the Blues’ youth, disability and women’s team, paraded around the pitch ahead of kick-off while club sponsors had also been hosted with a buffet lunch as part of a special day at the Ram Meadow where Sporting 87 Under-12s got to lead the first-team players out.
Skuse made four changes to the side which drew 1-1 at Walthamstow with captain Josh Curry, who had been kept out of the side following a facial injury, returning into a back three along with Joe Carroll in place of Lewis O’Malley and Ethan Mayhew.
Ed Upson came into central midfield for Ollie Canfer while Luke Brown returned alongside Ramadan up front with Loius Arnold dropping to the bench.
Enfield, who had to rebuild their team early in the season after their financial backer tragically died, visited second-from-bottom but safe from relegation, and off the back of a goalless draw at Ipswich Wanderers last weekend which had ended a run of 12 straight defeats.
Bury began brightly and saw Brown’s low cross inside two minutes almost turned into his own net by Ben Wyss as he sliced his clearance before recovering the situation at the expense of a corner.
But the home side soon took advantage of the fragility in the Enfield defence, with the opener arriving in the sixth minute after a harmless-looking Horne shot from the left edge of the area took a deflection off Wyss’ boot to deceive goalkeeper Edgeworth.
Ramadan had been credited on the tannoy with the goal, to his apparent amusement, but there was no question that he had got himself on the scoresheet less than two minutes later. The Enfield defence failed to pick him up from a Carroll long throw and after being found all alone in the box he fired in on the turn at the near post.
It was his 28th league goal of the season and as Bury’s pressure continued he was not far from adding another in his quest for the golden boot – having started the day two behind Lowestoft’s Jake Reed with 29 – with a fizzing effort going not far over the bar.
A Maughn cross found Yun unmarked in the box but his half-volley lacked power and went straight at Edgeworth.
However, the left wing-back was instrumental in the third goal in the 23rd minute. A great crossfield ball from Maughn once again found him and this time he expertly chested it inside his marker before seeing his half volley strike the inside of the left-hand post before going in off Edgeworth’s back for an own goal.
The one-way traffic continued with Ramadan firing across the face of goal on the half-hour mark before the number nine was thwarted by the legs of Edgeworth after cutting back inside the box, and Brown soon saw a fierce shot deflected wide.
Enfield’s first threatening moment arrived in the 36th minute when Adem Yilmaz’s deep cross went past everyone and out at the far post with the same player bending a shot wide of the same post three minutes later.
Bury stemmed the period of visiting pressure but were unable to fashion any further chances before the end of the half to carry a more than deserved three-goal advantage into the break.
Skuse made a change for the start of the second period with O’Malley replacing Joe White on the right side of the defence.
And it took less than four minutes for the Blues to increase their lead with a fourth goal. Maughn's low cross caused havoc before Jolland's fierce shot bounced back off a defender before breaking for Yun to turn in at the near post.
There was no sign of Bury letting their foot off the gas with Upson sending a 25-yard free kick whizzing just over the bar before Ramadan was found unmarked from another fine Maughn cross but headed well over while Jolland saw a shot deflected wide.
It took a bit of individual brilliance to bring the fifth goal in the 58th minute with former Colchester United trainee Maughn going on a jinking run into the box, past a trail of defenders, before finding the bottom left-hand corner with a low finish.
He appeared unfortunate not to have a penalty award soon after having been upended in the box with the referee unmoved.
The blue siege continued as Brown brought a fine save from Edgeworth as he ran onto Upson’s clever low corner before his follow-up effort was blocked.
Callum Taylor was fortunate to get away with a yellow card for a wild late challenge on Maughn in the 65th minute with the latter withdrawn moments later to a rousing reception with Ollie Canfer coming on.
With the game starting to drift, Skuse introduced his third substitute in the 73rd minute with Mayhew replacing Horne.
Enfield went close to pulling one back when Sam Bantick was slipped into the area but the former AFC Sudbury player fired wide.
Another well-worked move saw Charlie Beckwith called into action for his first save soon after with substitute Luke Clark laying across to the unmarked Taylor at the far post but the Blues number one made up the ground to block well at his near post.
Heading into the final 10 minutes Ramadan went hunting for more goals for his golden boot quest, but he saw Edgeworth catch a curling effort at the second attempt before producing a fine acrobatic save to push his half volley over his bar after being put through by a long kick from Beckwith.
But the Enfield stopper misjudged the chase for another defence-splitting pass in the 88th minute with Jolland winning the ball to waltz past him and roll the ball into the net for number six to the home fans’ delight.
Three minutes of stoppage time were signalled with a corner that soon followed from Enfield seeing substitute Gaz Dauti’s header bounce comfortably through to Beckwith as he claimed his third clean sheet in his last four matches.
The players and management showed their appreciation for the support with a lap of the pitch at the final whistle in a game that had certainly delivered on the show Skuse had called for from his players pre-match.
And with a boosted goal difference to their rivals, all that now stands in the way for a play-off clash back on their pristine pitch is ensuring they at least match the results of both Brentwood and Felixstowe next Saturday, who take on champions Lowestoft (away) and New Salamis (home) respectively.
Bury: Beckwith, White (O’Malley 46’), Carroll, Horne (Mayhew 73’), Curry (cpt), Upson, Maughn (Canfer 66’), Jolland, Ramadan, Brown, Yun.
Unused subs: Arnold, Curtis.
Booked: None.
Enfield: Edgeworth, Wyss, Taylor, Coombes (Clark 62’), Hurley, Turpin, Purdy (Dauti 57’), Norman, Bantick, Ronnie Bates, Yilmaz (Bardouleau 57’).
Unused subs: Bates, Vyse.
Booked: Taylor (65’), Bantick 82’)
Attendance: 1,017.
SuffolkNews Man of the Match: Max Maughn. Has established himself as a fans’ favourite this term and showed why with an energetic display up the right-hand side that combined pinpoint crosses with an ability to take players on and even finish himself.
