Bury Town welcomed an Ipswich Town XI to the Denny Bros Stadium on Wednesday evening for a mid-season friendly fixture, as Drew Kendall reports below:

Bury started brightly a minute in, with the returning Cemal Ramadan having a shot on the right edge of the box deflected off target, where at the far post Alley made the catch. Ipswich then rallied back, having a shot on the right edge of the box go over the top far corner on 5 minutes.

Scott then had a shot at goal for Ipswich, from the left edge of the box, on 11 minutes but hit his strike low and straight at Bugg at his near post. Machaya was the next to go for goal for the hosts on 16 minutes, but saw his low attempt blocked from the left edge of the area. Ipswich then crossed a ball into the box from the right wing on 21 minutes, as the header at the near post was straight forward for Bugg.

The young visitors then crossed the ball in from the left wing after 24 minutes, but saw the effort at goal in the centre cleared away, before Simpson was set through on the left inside the box two minutes later. However, his shot went high and over the top far corner.

Ipswich then took the lead fourteen minutes before the interval, low ball in on the left was tapped towards goal at the far post- as a Bury defender's clearance off the line rolled into the goal off the home man's foot. The away side then had appeals for a penalty turned down on 39 minutes as a Ipswich man went down on the right in the box.

Machaya was then set through on the left inside the area for Bury on 40 minutes, as his low shot towards the far corner was gathered by Alley. Ipswich then won a corner on the left, a minute later but put it wide at the far post.

Then with the final chance of the half, Machaya tried his luck with another low strike- this time on the left edge of the box but was again met by the exact same result.

Half Time: Bury Town 0-1 Ipswich Town XI

Ipswich doubled their advantage two minutes into the second half, Bugg kicking the ball straight to an Ipswich man from close range on the right in the box, who squared it into the centre where it was tapped into the empty net. Bury responded though on 48 minutes, as a Blues cross in from the left found Ramadan at the far post whose shot was blocked. The rebound fell to Tommy Robinson on the edge of the box, his low shot at the bottom right corner though was gathered diving down by Alley. Josh Revell then had a go at goal, from the right edge of the box but saw his shot blocked after 5 second half minutes.

Ramadan then curled in a fantastic cross into the box on the left on 57 minutes, where Call could only send over the top far corner at the near post. Then with 26 minutes remaining, Barley made his way to the edge of the Bury box before firing over the bar. Bury though went agonisingly close to a consolation on 67 minutes, an Ipswich pass back on the left side in the box sold Alley short as Fabien Joe stole possession, and squared the ball into the box.

Unfortunately though, Tanner Call was just too late running in. The young Tractor Boys then fired wide of the near post from the right edge of the box on 71 minutes, before Tommy Hughes (on-loan from Bury's opponents) was taken down in the box seven minutes later. Luckily for Ipswich, the referee waved his appeal away.

Good play from Ipswich, with ten minutes left saw the visitors cut in well from the left wing to the edge of the box, although the shot didn't match as it was deflected over the top far corner. Ipswich then sealed their victory after 82 minutes, a fantastic shot in the middle found the bottom left corner after making space to shoot.

Bury though kept pressing for a goal back, as Olly Hughes was fed on the left inside the box but scuffed his shot wide of the near post on 87 minutes.

The two Hughes' then linked up for the final chance of the match, on 89 minutes as Olly Hughes ran down the right wing and into the box, he then squared it to the on-loan Ipswich forward in the centre whose low shot at the near post was palmed away well by Alley. The rebound though fell to Olly Hughes in an offside position, but his effort was off target.

Full Time: Bury Town 0-3 Ipswich Town XI

The Teams:

Bury Town FC:
1 George Bugg
2 Branham Ince
3 Jake Kerins (75' Browne)
4 Ollie Fenn (71' Cook)
5 Joe White
6 Kyran Clements
8 Josh Revell (77' O Hughes)
8 Tommy Robinson
9 Cemal Ramadan (58' Joe)
10 Emmanuel Machaya
11 Tommy Hughes
Subs
12 Tanner Call
14 Fabien Joe
15 Aidan Browne
16 Charlie Cook
10 Olly Hughes
17 Mitchell Bryant (unused)

Ipswich Town XI:
1 Jake Alley
2 Allan Viral
3 Luca Vega (61' Ronan)
4 Ryley Scott (61' Ruffles)
5 Alex Henderson
6 Luoie Fehernbach
7 Ayo Nathanan (67' Foudil)
8 Teddy Baker
9 Lewis Reed
10 Henry Barley
11 Tyreece Simpson
Subs
12 Toby Egan (GK)
14 Joe Clifford (used)
15 Lounes Foudil
16 Kian Ronan
17 Dylan Ruffles

Match report and Statistics by Drew Kendall