Cemal Ramadan scores twice but frustration for Bury Town as sloppy late goal hands Hullbridge Sports a point
Bury Town were left to rue a late lapse in concentration costing them victory as Hullbridge Sports cancelled out Cemal Ramadan's brace with a bizarre goal to claim a point in a 2-2 draw at Ram Meadow.
The visitors had taken an early lead against the run of play via Darius Guinea's well struck free kick but Ramadan struck twice in five minutes at the end of the first period to turn the game on its head.
First he drilled in an angled finish after Hullbridge failed to clear a long Carlos Edwards throw before a fine run and finish deep in stoppage time.
His 13th goal in 14 appearances (eight from 10 in the league) certainly put a different complexion on the game, and it looked to be one the Blues were comfortably seeing out until two minutes from time.
A cross-cum-shot was not dealt before Charley Barker hit the ball against Emmanuel Folarin with the ricochet going in off the far post.
It saw Bury remain in ninth place in the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division with just one win from their last four games while their opponents moved up one spot to 16th.
Two of Blues boss Ben Chenery's three changes from last weekend's 1-0 defeat at Tilbury were injury forced with Ben Mayhew deputising in goal for Lewis Ridd (neck) while Joe White replaced Will Gardner (knee).
The other change saw Barker given the nod ahead of Cruis Nyadzayo while new attacker Cameron Nicholls, dual registered with Walsham-le-Willows, joined the latter among the substitutes.
The home side made a bright start with Edwards firing a ball across the face of goal while Shaun Avis was denied at close quarters by the legs of goalkeeper Lewis Greene.
However, the visitors who took the lead from a set piece with their first noteworthy attack on the quarter of the hour mark.
White conceded a foul just outside the corner of the penalty D and Guinea despatched it beautifully into the top corner of Mayhew's near post.
Sports' tails were suddenly up with Ethan Lawson reacting quickest to a loose bouncing ball in the box but lacking enough power in his header.
The Bury pressure began to build again following the early setback and Cemal Radamadan drew a near-post save after cleverly cutting in along the byline.
Avis went close to getting on a driven Ramadan cross before a handball shout that did not interest the referee.
The visitors were forced into an early change 11 minutes before the interval with Sonny Dutton replacing Ross Elsom.
Edwards' long throws had been causing Hullbridge problems and after Greene gratefully saved a back header from Johnson he was left picking the ball out of his net following the next one.
This time Johnson flicked it back across the area, the visitors failed to get it clear and Ramadan picked up the loose ball and went on to fire it powerfully across goal into the far corner.
Within seconds Sports could have retaken the lead when a long ball put Dutton into the area but he lifted the bouncing ball over the upright.
A stop-start first period saw five minutes added on and in the fourth it was Bury who suddenly found themselves ahead after a great solo run run and finish from Ramadan.
The number nine was found in space from a quick goal kick to the halfway line and bore down on goal before cutting inside Samuel Brogan before tucking the ball into the corner of the net.
It would have led both managers to give very different team talks from what they must have been preparing.
Chenery was forced into his first change within four minutes of the second half with Joe Hood limping off and Nydazayo entering the fray with Edwards dropping back to right-back.
Alex Moss drilled over from the fringe of the area moments later after Bury failed to deal with a low cross into their box.
Nydazayo soon sprung a counter which saw his effort out wide comfortably fond the hands of Greene.
Avis thought he had his first Blues goal in his fifth appearance just past the hour mark, but after heading in Barker's deep delivery the former Lakenheath striker was flagged offside.
The Bury continued to look for a killer third goal with a Ramadan ending with a poor connection which saw him drag his shot wide of the left-hand post.
The hosts were defending solidly as Hullbridge pressed forward while offering plenty of menace on the break with a Nydazayo fizzing cross going just behind Ramadan as he sought his hat-trick goal.
With six minutes to go Ryan Jolland made his return from a summer hip operation.
It was seeming like the game was drifting to its conclusion but 2-1 is always a dangerous scoreline and the visitors, who had not troubled Mayhew up to that point in the second half, drew level in the 88th minute.
A move down the left saw an angled cross-cum-shot parried loose by Mayhew with Barker then firing the loose ball against birthday boy Folarin before watching it rebound off the full-back before clipping the far post on its way into the net.
It was a bizarre to concede and knocked the stuffing out of the hosts who tried in vain to find a last-gasp response, having brought Nicholls on in stoppage-time for his debut.
But Greene's goal went untroubled across the four minutes leading the visitors to celebrate their late lucky strike.
Without a midweek fixture, Bury are back in action at the Atalian Servest Ram Meadow Stadium next Saturday when basement side Maldon & Tiptree, who got their first point in a goalless game at Coggeshall Town today, are the visitors.
Bury Town: Mayhew, Hood (Nydaayo 49'), Johnson, Fenn (c), O'Malley, White, Edwards, Watkins, Ramadan, Avis (Jolland 84'), Barker. Unused subs: Nicholls, Maher.
Booked: White (33')
Hullbridge Sports: Greene, Folarin, Moss, Elsom (Dutton 34'), Forrest, Oteniya, Honesty, Brogan (Lewis 67'), Gardner (c) (Hornsley 79'), Guinea, Lawson. Unused subs: Bailey, Woodcock.
Booked: Oteniya (52')
Attendance: 506
SuffolkNews Man of the Match: Cemal Ramadan. The former Ipswich Town under-18s striker looked like being Bury's match winner until late on and deserved to be.
