Bury Town 2-1 Mildenhall Town: Cemal Ramadan’s chipped finish sees dominant Blues to derby victory to ensure home advantage in play-off semi-final
Cemal Ramadan’s chipped finish 20 minutes from time saw Bury Town claim a 2-1 victory at home to Mildenhall Town in their penultimate fixture which ensured Cole Skuse’s side will have home advantage in their play-off semi-final.
But their slim title hopes in the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division were extinguished by Brentwood Town claiming a 4-0 victory at home to already-relegated Basildon United.
Waltham Abbey’s being held to a 1-1 draw at home to mid-table Redbridge in the early kick-off had seen Bury go into their game knowing a victory against 16th-placed Mildenhall would guarantee they could finish no lower than third.
But capturing the runners-up spot for a second consecutive season, which would also guarantee a home play-off final should they make it through the first knockout game again, will go down to the final weekend after Felixstowe & Walton United avoided defeat, winning 2-1 at already-relegated Ipswich Wanderers.
A season-high crowd at the Getaway Cars Stadium of 1,042 saw the visitors threaten to cause an upset when they went ahead via Jarid Robson’s fifth-minute penalty, controversially awarded after Josh Curry had collided with Olly Hughes.
But it only seemed to stoke the fire as Bury began to throw everything at their opponents’ goal, with Josh Pope, who pulled off a series of fine saves, unable to keep out Taylor Parr’s 20th-minute header from an Ed Upson corner.
Bury’s pressure was eventually rewarded with the winner in the 70th minute when Ramadan chipped the ball over the stranded Pope, following a mix-up with his defence, for his 27th league goal of the campaign and 28th in all competitions.
Having rested players for Saturday’s 4-0 victory at already-relegated Sporting Bengal United, Skuse’s line-up showed five changes with Taylor Parr, Ryan Jolland, Ed Upson, Ramadan and Ethan Mayhew all returning. Joe White, Ryan Horne, Alfie Pinyoun, Harley Curtis and Tom Stagg were the ones who dropped to the bench.
Ex-Bury captain Phil Weavers made three changes from his side’s 1-0 home loss to Witham Town with former Bury players Jed Wigley and Olly Hughes starting along with Ben Nolan, in place of Joshua Collins, Jordan Nicholson and Jake Chambers Shaw.
It was Mildenhall who started on the front foot and were awarded a penalty inside five minutes when Hughes went down after a coming together with Blues captain, to the latter’s amazement. Robson duly kept his cool by rolling in just off centre.
Full-back Mikey Davis, looking to follow up his two goals on Saturday, fired over from outside the area in Bury’s first effort at goal 10 minutes in before Ryan Jolland brought Pope into action with a comfortable near-post save.
Former Bury skipper Hughes played Nolan behind the defence but he could only lift his first-time effort over the bar as Mildenhall looked to swiftly double their advantage on the break.
The pressure was increasing up the other end and Mayhew brought the next save out of Pope with a snapshot from inside the box.
And they got themselves level in the 20th minute via an Upson corner which Parr headed in off the right-hand post.
Luke Butcher won a header in Bury’s box from a deep cross following a throw-in but was unable to direct it towards goal.
Only a double save from Pope, diving to beat out a fierce Davis piledriver and jumping up to block the follow-up from Ramadan ahead of Parr heading over another corner kept the hosts from getting themselves in front.
Bury, who continued to dominate, had a penalty shout turned down in the 34th minute when Ramadan drew a save from inside the area before screaming that the ball had hit the hand of the floored Mildenhall defender after it ran loose.
Mayhew was next to call Pope into action with a well-directed header from Ramadan’s deep cross having to be plucked out of the air.
The brother of Newcastle United’s Josh Pope made his best save of the half to push Canfer’s header away from the top corner from another deep cross.
The rest of the half was notable for a series of fouls typical of a derby contest, with Hughes having a long stoppage to get treatment for a facial injury after jumping for a header, though he was able to eventually continue.
Davis found the hands of Pope with another effort from outside the box as Bury started the second period looking to continue the general pattern of the first half.
The ‘Hall shot-stopper denied Canfer with a near-post block after a nice interchange with Mayhew.
When Pope was finally beaten again, from a header on the hour mark from Mayhew from a great fizzing cross from Davis, substitute Collins was on hand to head off the line before the keeper gathered the rebound effort.
Charlie Beckwith had been a bystander at the other end but was called into action moments later to produce a low save to push out Robson’s half volley from the edge of the area.And Josh Swift, who had replaced the injured Hughes at the break, then saw his goalbound header tipped away from Wigley’s in-swinging corner.
Mildenhall continued their best spell since the opening exchanges with Nolan’s run ending with a shot from the fringe of the area that bounced away off the crossbar.
The game had to be stopped in the 67th minute when referee Thomas Kelly eventually had to be helped off the pitch with what appeared to be a calf issue that rendered him unable to continue. But a qualified official in the crowd stepped up to get changed to run the line with assistant Stephen Macken then going into the middle.
Once things did resume Bury twice went close, with Davis drawing a near-post block ahead of Butcher’s tackle denying Mayew, before finally getting themselves ahead with 20 minutes to go via a mix-up at the back.
Pope raced to the edge of his box but with Wigley by his side, saw the loose ball come off his shoulder before Ramadan grasped the opportunity to chip both with a well-measured effort dropping into the unguarded net.
But they had Beckwith to thank for remaining ahead in the 84th minute when he leapt to his left to push away Butcher’s header from substitute Tommy Robinson’s cross.
At the other end the Blues could and should have wrapped up the points when Davis sent another inviting cross through the six-yard box but Swift was able to put it behind ahead of the lurking Ramadan.
Four minutes of stoppage time passed without any more nervy moments for the home crowd to bite their nails through ahead of knowing their side will have a home play-off semi-final, irrespective of the outcome of Saturday’s game at Wroxham.
The defeat left Mildenhall in 16th place, with only a climb to 15th possible on their first season back in Step 4 ahead of their final fixture, at home to Waltham Abbey (both 3pm).
Bury: Beckwith, Parr (White 65’), O’Malley, Jolland (Horne 86’), Curry (cpt), Upson, Maughn, Canfer (Curtis 77’), Ramadan, Mayhew, Davis.
Unused subs: Pinyoun, Stagg.
Booked: Davis (41’).
Mildenhall: Pope, Chipps, Herd (Collins 42’), Butcher (cpt), Wigley, Kaye, Nolan, Anderson, Hughes (Swift 46’), Robson, Thulborn (Robinson 76’).
Unused subs: Nicholson, Coakley
Booked: Kaye (26’).
Attendance: 1,042
SuffolkNews Man of the Match: A hard one to pick from a team display but Cemal Ramadan came up with the match-winning moment, keeping his cool when it mattered most to avoid a second successive home draw.
