Bury Town goalkeeper Charlie Beckwith sees positives as Blues push Felixstowe & Walton United hard in re-run of Suffolk derby

Despite suffering a second defeat in the space of a week at promotion rivals Felixstowe & Walton United, Bury Town goalkeeper Charlie Beckwith felt they managed to ‘right a lot of wrongs’ in Monday’s display.

The Blues had travelled back to the scene of the crime of last Tuesday’s 4-0 Emirates FA Cup mauling – with those in attendance saying the scoreline could and perhaps should have been a lot worse – on something of a revenge mission.

And despite Cole Skuse’s side ultimately travelling back down the A14 empty-handed on the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreline, off the back of Saturday’s 2-0 success against Wroxham having put them top of the embryonic table two games in, Stuart Boardley’s side certainly knew they had been in a game this time around.

“I think we righted a lot of the wrongs from Tuesday night,” reflected Beckwith after it took two controversial goals inside the last 11 minutes for Felixstowe to bounce back from their first defeat on Saturday.

“In the first half we were in the game. They've had one shot and scored one goal. We've had, again, four or five chances and not quite been able to get it in.

“In the first half-an-hour of the second half they had their backs against the wall but we couldn’t find a way through again, other than the penalty. And then their penalty changes the game.

“After that, well, the least I say about the third the better, I think the ref was poor all afternoon and that kind of summed him up.”

After two Pitching In Isthmian League North Division games without conceding, Beckwith’s defence was finally breached in the 23rd minute at the Martello Stadium with their summer trialist Willie Clemons, who had opted to join the Seasiders for the prospect of more guaranteed starts, guiding home a header back across the area from Billy Holland.

There had been little in the first half, with Harry Wright notably tipping over an early effort from Ed Upson, and Bury’s bright start to the second period saw Cemal Ramadan pushed over in the box before he duly dusted himself down to fire home the equaliser from the penalty spot in the 50th minute.

Felixstowe began to up their pressure on Beckwith’s goal and after squandering a couple of good opportunities, they got their own penalty when Joe White pulled back fellow substitute Charlie Warren, with the contact looking to have started outside the box, but seemingly deemed to have continued into it by referee Ben Bowles.

Beckwith got desperately close to Joshua Hitter’s kick which flew in just above his fingertips to put them behind again.

Bury tried to mount another response but found themselves 3-1 down in the 89th minute in controversial fashion with substitute Sam Ford credited with turning in a dangerous whipped near-post corner from Charlie Warren with Beckwith’s furious protestations he was impeded by the scorer backing into him and landing on top of him dismissed by the officials.

“Obviously we should clear the ball at the near post and we don't quite get there. But I'm not too sure how I can be rugby tackled into the back of the net and then be told that it's not a foul, he’s literally on top of me,” said Beckwith.

Bury will look to bounce back from their first league defeat of the campaign back at the Getaway Cars Stadium tomorrow (3pm) against Sporting Bengal United, who also have six points from three games.

“There’s still a long way to go, 39 games to go, and you’re not going to go unbeaten the whole season,” said Beckwith.

“We’ve got a big game again Saturday where we’ll look to get another three points and a clean sheet and a few goals on the board.”

Saturday’s 2-0 victory against Wroxham had come courtesy of a bizarre deflected cross-cum-shot from White in the 10th minute followed by Mikey Davis opening his club account with a thunderbolt on 64.

Manager Skuse said: “The boys were professional in their work.

“We had a really bright start to the game which we had asked for as a response to bounce back from Tuesday evening against a very good Felixstowe side.

“But look, we’re not going to let our indifferent performance on Tuesday define us as a group as we’ve been really good for nine, 10 months now.”

Reflecting on their bank holiday games, Beckwith felt they had put in two good performances, but was not too disppointed with their points return of three.

He said: It's always a tough weekend when you have to come here and then there’s the quick turnaround.

“We're not pros, we don't get conditioned to play two games in three days. But we got three points from it and we played well Saturday.

“I thought we played well today and probably deserved more than we got, but that's football, isn't it?

“We’ve got Sporting Bengal United on Saturday and I'm sure we'll prepare right and the gaffer will get us going again.”

He added: “We've got our aims and targets this year and winning Saturday will go a long way towards getting there this year.

“We've got a great group. I think we're all buying into what the gaffer's trying to do.

“Last year (play-off defeat) obviously hurt at the end and that really is the fuel in the belly to get to where we want to be this year.”

Striker Luke Brown (back) and midfielder Louis Henman-Mason (knee) are both thought to still be unavailable as they continue their recoveries from injury while Ryan Horne is set to serve his one-match suspension for picking up two yellow cards towards the end of Saturday’s home game with Wroxham.

Sporting Bengal United, who hail from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and were originally formed to encourage Asian football participation in the area, have achieved back-to-back promotions in what is their first ever season at Step 4.

The Bengal Tigers, as they are known, have enjoyed a positive start under former Southend United professional Steven Clark, also winning two of their opening three games to sit seventh in the early table.

They go into the game with Bury off the back of Monday’s 2-1 home victory against Maldon & Tiptree.