7th January 2025
Bury Town vs Felixstowe & Walton United @ Ram Meadow - Bury St. Edmunds
Isthmian North Division (Step 4)
19:45 KO
£11 entry
Attendance - 803
Half-time score: Bury Town 1-0 Felixstowe & Walton United
Goals:
Bury Town: Jolland - 9'
Bury Town: Ramadan - 53'
Final Score: Bury Town 2-0 Felixstowe & Walton United
Following the torrential downpour cancelling the much anticipated New Year's Day game, it was great to see it quickly rescheduled to this evening. This game is as big as it gets in non-league, a game pitting 1st vs 2nd, two Suffolk teams both on 54 points and having played the same number of games, with both teams drawing healthy attendances this season, the stage was set for an epic game under the floodlights at the glorious Ram Meadow!!
On the way into the ground, I picked one of the fantastic £2 match-day programmes, one of the best non-league programmes in my view.
It was a bitingly cold evening, but this did not stop over 800 fans turn up to watch this top-of-the-table clash. Home team Bury Town lined up in all blue, with Felixstowe & Walton United in their home red colours.
KEY MOMENTS
BT = Bury Town
FWU = Felixstowe & Walton United
9' - BT - GOAL (1-0) - A diagonal ball is pinged out to the left, Maughn latches onto it and attacks down the right flank, he plays a neat 1-2 with Jolland before chipping the ball over the backline, Jolland runs onto it and slots in from close range, excellent start for the hosts!
15' - FWU - From a free-kick, the ball is flicked on and there is an audacious volley that flies just wide, I didn't catch who it was from unfortunately.
18' - BT - Ball across the box from Canfer to Jolland, he controls the ball and turns, the space seems to open up for him and he shoots, but his effort flies over, potentially a big moment as that was a great chance.
23' - FWU - Charlie Warren turns and shoots from the right-hand corner of the box, the stinging effort whizzing just wide of the far-post.
40' - FWU - A long ball is pumped up to Charlie Warren, he twists and turns and creates space for another strike from the edge of the box, like the first it is drilled in with power, but scoots just wide of the post.
45'+ 4' - BT - Just before half-time an Upson free-kick is floated into the box, Canfer is on the end of it but his headed effort across goal flashes wide of the post.
51' - FWU - Corner ball, Bury keeper Beckwith comes out to collect but miscalculates, the ball is recycled and an effort flies in, seemingly cleared off the line. Shortly after, Felixstowe put the ball in the back of the net, but it is was ruled out offside.
53' - BT - The ball breaks nicely for Davis down the left, he drives into the box and tries to slot the ball into the bottom right corner but keeper Wright makes the save, with no Bury Town players nearby for the follow-up.
53' - BT - GOAL (2-0) - Moments later, another Bury attack, this time down the right. Maughn feeds Jolland inside the box who calmly plays a delicate ball across the danger area, the emphatic Ramadan is the fastest to react to this and he prods it home from close range, giving Bury Town an all-important two goal cushion.
81' - BT - The Bury Town defence is holding firm, and they go close to nailing a third. Maughn drives into the box off the right, he is taken down on the edge of the box, it looked a foul but the referee is unmoved, the ball breaks to substitute Luke Brown who lashes his effort wide.
88' - FWU - Felixstowe's best chance of the game, coming from what looked to be a wrongly awarded throw-in. Inevitably, Felixstowe get in through substitute Samuel Ford on the right, his cross-goal effort has Beckwith beaten but it clatters into the post then into the path of the on-rushing Tom Warren who blazes over. Had that have gone it, it would have been a nervy finale for the hosts.
Overall an excellent performance and victory for Bury Town, putting them firmly at the summit of the table. To a man they were outstanding, Beckwith and the defensive back-line were able to deal with everything thrown their way, they were strong and battling in the midfield and dangerous on the attack, looking to utilise the wings. I was particularly impressed by Ryan Jolland today, he was a beast in the midfield, cutting out and winning so many balls and challenges in the middle of the park, as well as looking sharp on the attack, scoring and bagging an assist. He also linked up wonderfully with the ever present threat of winger Max Maughn who also had a blinder, as did so many of the Bury players. It was a real contrast of styles, Felixstowe's main goal threats coming from crossed balls into the box and set-pieces, with Bury Town more keen to play through Felixstowe with the ball to feet. Bury were a more cohesive team and seemed to want it more, with Felixstowe looking more like a collection of outstanding individuals. The loss did affect them though, with the ball booted way out of the ground at the final whistle followed by a bit of an on-field scuffle, also emulated by a disgruntled Felixstowe fan in the stand who was kicking-off, not the best scenes. There is still a long way to go in the season, this is nowhere near done with plenty of twists and turns to come I am sure, but for now Bury Town are on-top, and hopefully it stays that way. Bury Town have performed consistently at this level and maintained large crowds for years, in my view they are more than ready for Step 3 football, so here's to hoping that Cole Skuse and his team can succeed this season.
Line-Ups:
BURY TOWN: Charlie Beckwith, Joe White, Lewis O'Malley, Ed Upson, Josh Curry (C), Ryan Horne, Max Maughn, Ryan Jolland, Cemal Ramadan, Ollie Canfer, Mikey Davis. SUBS: Ethan Mayhew, Dylan Williams, Alfie Pinyoun, Taylor Parr, Luke Brown.
FELIXSTOWE & WALTON UNITED: Harry Wright, Ollie Caley-Brown, Tom Warren, Billy Holland (C), Hugh Cullum, Jack Ainsley, Willie Clemons, Cameron Forde-Brown, Rob Harvey, Callum Harrison, Charlie Warren. SUBS: Stuart Ainsley, Ashton Boswell, Samuel Ford, Fabian Claxton, Hugo Akhuseyin.
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