Bury Town boss Cole Skuse admits title chase looks to be over after 0-0 home draw with Redbridge in their ‘flattest performance of the season’
Cole Skuse described Bury Town’s 0-0 draw at home to mid-table Redbridge as their ‘flattest performance of the season’ and admitted it realistically leaves them fighting for home advantage in the play-offs.
The second-placed Blues had gone into the game having seen Pitching In Isthmian League North Division leaders Brentwood Town record a 2-1 home win against seventh-placed Tilbury last night. It saw their play-off place confirmed but also extended the gap to the summit to eight points.
They had been looking to reduce that back to five with three games to go but Brentwood are now on the brink of claiming the automatic promotion spot heading into the quickfire Easter weekend fixtures. The gap to third place, now occupied by Waltham Abbey following Felixstowe & Walton United suffering a 1-0 defeat at Grays Athletic, is one point.
“Without stating the obvious, it's tough,” Skuse said of where the point leaves them in the title race.
“Again, I'm only going to be stating the obvious when I say we're going to be trying our utmost to win all three games.
“Ultimately a team that finishes at the very, very top deserves to be at the top as they've done it over a slab of however many games.
“It's a tough ask. It's going to be a tough ask, but who knows? Anything can happen in football.
“But if they do want to win the league, then congratulations to them. We'll try our utmost to finish as high up the league as we can and generate a bit of momentum going into the play-offs.”
The point they added to their tally in a kick-off delayed until 3.35pm due to some Redbridge players being held up behind an accident on the M11, owed as much to home goalkeeper Charlie Beckwith as well as a glaring miss in the final attack from Ed Upson.
But there was a real lack of quality at both ends with the game also having a pedestrian feel to it on a day where temperatures got above 20C once more leaving the pitch rock hard, despite efforts to keep it watered in the week.
“It's not one I'm going to look forward to watching back,” said Skuse of a game which was the club’s designated Community Day and Sponsors Day, drawing in a big crowd.
“It was really, really poor. It was really, really flat. I'm really disappointed because it was an incredible attendance today.
“There's just shy of 1,000 people here, so a really good attendance for us.
“It's really disappointing because it's probably our flattest performance for a long, long time, I'd say. It's certainly our flattest performance this season.
“We've lost games this season. I can't be too harsh because the lads have been unbelievable for nearly 20 months, they've been brilliant. I've never criticised too much because they give me absolutely everything. It's never through want of trying.
“I didn't think we played bright enough this afternoon as a group for whatever reason that may be, I'm not quite sure. It was just really flat.
“We could have nicked it right to death. We had a real, real good chance and it would have been incredibly harsh on Redbridge. I think they set up very well.
“It's just disappointing because it was an incredibly flat performance.”
The Bury boss made one change to his line-up from the 1-1 draw away at Maldon & Tiptree last weekend with Joe White coming into the back three with captain Josh Curry dropping to the bench. It meant top scorer Cemal Ramandan carried the armband.
Left wing-back Mikey Davis returned from injury on the bench for Ryan Horne, who picked up an issue in the warm-up last Saturday.
After the game, following the delay to kick-off, finally got under way Bury saw a lot of the ball in the opening stages but with a pedestrian feel to the game, it took until the 18th minute for a chance at either end.
After Ethan Mayhew’s deep far-post cross to Max Maughn did not get a sweet connection, Redbridge’s Kai Thomas-Fraser ended up slicing past his own post. The visitors then survived a trio of corners.
A poorly placed backpass from Ryan Jolland let Redbridge’s Tendi Quamina in on goal 24 minutes in but Charlie Beckwith was out well to narrow the angle and divert it out for a corner.
A lack of quality from both sides persisted with Bury unable to register a shot ahead of the half-time whistle blowing.
The Blues’ finally drew Max Spencen in the Motormen’s goal into action in the 50th minute, though he was right behind a floated effort from deep on the left from Lewis O’Malley.
Tommy Stagg was introduced from the bench two minutes later in place of fellow frontman Luke Brown.
Beckwith was taking no chances with an opportunistic effort from range going past his post, diverting it behind for a corner.
Quamina soon drew him into another low save as Redbridge broke into the area all-to-easily before Karl Kayembe shanked a half volley out towards the corner flag.
Stagg had a sniff of a chance down the side of the area but was unable to make the tight angle work.
It was the visitors who had looked more threatening since the restart and a good free kick delivery from Jack Chawner went without the connection it deserved while Beckwith was soon called to make another low save at his near post.
Bury began to look a bit smarter in their approach play with Stagg almost getting on an Upson lofted pass before another long ball put Ramadan in on goal but he could only lift it into Spence’s grateful hands.
The Motormen signalled their threat again when breaking from corner with Malachi Napa, previously with AFC Sudbury, carrying the ball without a firm challenge going in before curling wide from just outside the area.
Beckwith touched a Chawner curling effort over his bar as the game entered its final eight minutes.
Bury needed a moment of magic but after an Ed Upson free kick from out wide was comfortably caught without a challenge, a Mikey Davis deep cross in added time that floated out at the far post summed up a really poor match up.
However, there was a big chance to win it in the fifth of what had been three signalled minutes. Parr did well to drive down the left-hand side and fizz a low ball through the box and Upson, with the goal gaping, was unable to connect at the far post, seemingly put off by a missed clearance ahead of him.
It meant Bury will head into their Easter weekend fixtures, with a trip to the capital to face relegated Sporting Benghal United next Saturday followed by the visit of Mildenhall Town for a west Suffolk derby (both 3pm) looking to return to winning ways following consecutive draws.
Bury Town: Beckwith, White (Curry 81’), O’Malley Upson, Parr, Mayhew, Maughn, Canfer (Davis 60’), Ramadan (cpt), Brown (Stagg 52’), Jolland (Curtis 78’).
Unused sub: Pinyoun.
Booked: Mayhew (31’).
Redbridge: Spence, Elliott, Williams, Chawner, Day, Thomas-Fraser, Feeley (Berri 78’), Kayembe (Machovas 90+5’), Quamina (Ayoola 90+5’), Napa (Nandi 90+3’), Ogunwomoju.
Unused Sub: Nwabuko.
Booked: None.
Attendance: 966.
SuffolkNews Man of the Match: Charlie Beckwith. It wasn’t his busiest game but the Bury Town keeper made a few saves that helped earn his side what could prove a valuable point in what now seems a quest to hold onto second place.
