Bristol City promotion winner and former Ipswich Town midfielder Cole Skuse ranks Bury Town’s Isthmian League North Division play-off final victory highly on his CV

Bury Town manager Cole Skuse admitted that this afternoon’s promotion is ‘up there’ on his footballing CV.

During his playing days, the 39-year-old was part of the squad when his boyhood club Bristol City went up to the Championship as League One runners-up in 2006/07.

But as he took in the size of today’s achievement at the Getaway Cars Stadium, where Ed Upson’s stoppage-time curler sealed a 1-0 victory over Brightlingsea Regent in the Isthmian League North Division play-off final, Skuse conceded it will be something that he will always look back on with great fondness.

He said: “It's (winning promotion as a manager) so different. The feeling is so, so different. Even the preparation, it's so different. Because you're overseeing a group of men, you're overseeing a a group of players, you feel that extra sense of responsibility.

“But in terms of achievements, look, I was very, very fortunate I was one of a small percentage within the football world to get promotion with my boyhood club, Bristol City. That feeling would be incredibly tough (to beat) because it's my boyhood club. I’d gone through the youth team ranks throughout.

“But, this is so surreal. It’s so pleasing because you're overseeing so many moving parts in the group.

“You know what the group have sacrificed and I know what I’ve sacrificed so it’s up there in what I’ve done in football.”

The promotion-clinching moment is one that will live long in the memory of the 2,000-plus supporters in attendance.

There seemed to be an acceptance around the ground that the encounter was heading for extra-time, only for experienced midfielder Upson to bend the ball into the top corner from just inside the box four minutes into time added on.

“You can never (think it’s going to go to extra-time) as long as you got people on the pitch like that, like Ed, and they've (Brightlingsea) got it within their group as well,” added Skuse.

“You knew it was going to take a moment of magic because of how tight the game was. I thought they were slightly the better side if I'm being honest, but it always felt we were going to be split by a moment of brilliance, a moment of genius.

“And for all of the people within our group, and this is no disrespect to anyone else, but the certain individual you want at that moment in the game would be Ed. Wow. He shows composure beyond belief. And to finish the way he finished there, it's a stroke of genius almost.

“I was almost prepping myself and thinking about substitutes for extra-time and who to bring on and off, but then Ed does that. It’s a great goal.”