Young blues strike twice late on to win at Mildenhall

Bury Town Under-18s do the double over local rivals Mildenhall Town after two late goals see Bury win 2-1 in both fixtures this season.

Despite a tight first half, it was Bury who had the better chances as great play from Amin Muhammed saw the forward win the ball for the away side on the edge of the box, who then set Ethan Mills through on goal in the box but the keeper was off his line well to narrow down the angle and palm the shot away well on 5 minutes.

Bury then had a good chance from a corner in the eighth minute, the corner in was cleared as far as the taker whose second cross in towards 2 blue shirts at the back post just past them both.

The young Blues had a great chance on 14 minutes, a great long throw into the box was flicked on cleverly by the head of Amin Muhammed onto Ethan Mills in the centre whose low strike towards the bottom far corner didn't quite have enough power and was gathered by the diving keeper.

A Bury free-kick into the box eleven minutes later saw Bury come close to breaking the deadlock, but the left-wing set-piece was headed just wide off the far post. Callum Steed then got through well onto the right-hand side in the box a minute later to cutback a good ball into the path of Cowling whose low first time shot went just an inch wide of the bottom far corner.

A great Bury through-ball released Kyran Cooper through on goal in the box in the 33rd minute, as the winger beat his defender well to the ball, drawing the keeper well off his line to narrow down the angle and save the shot well. The Bury winger though was first to the rebound to square across but was cleared by the defender just in front of his near post.

Finlay Plant was next to go for goal on the thirty-sixth minute, the midfielder's 35-yard strike though was blocked by the defender before deflecting off Muhammed offside in the box but was comfortably gathered by the keeper. Cowling however curled a 30-yard free-kick well round the wall but straight at the keeper who just kept hold of the ball a minute later, whilst Mildenhall shot over the crossbar on 40 minutes, prior to having a shot blocked in a promising position outside the box seconds later.

The Mildenhall keeper though kicked possession straight to a blue shirt out on the left wing who instinctively hit a good volley from distance towards goal but was easy for the keeper to gather at his far post on 42 minutes.

Plant meanwhile curled a dangerous free-kick, just outside Mildenhall's penalty area, straight into the keeper's chest on the stroke of half-time, before Charlie Walker fired a long range free-kick off his own just wide of the top corner a minute into stoppage time.

With that both sides went into the break goalless, though Bury will feel unfortunate not to have gone in front.
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Half Time: Mildenhall Town Under-18s 0 Bury Town Under-18s 0

The first real chance of the second half went the way of Bury on 48 minutes, the ball falling to a blue shirt inside the penalty area but the low shot was caught by the keeper at his near post.

Mildenhall however struck first in this low rivalry, the home side's counter attack led to a fierce shot being parried away well by Liam Foreman in the Bury goal, only as far though as Olly Hubbard who was first to the rebound to place it just over the keeper from eight-yards out, 1-0 Mildenhall after 49 minutes.

Bury looked to respond quickly to that setback, as the visitors found Cooper through down the right wing whose quick pace leaves the full-back in his wake to reach the byline where the winger's dangerous cutback towards Muhammed in the six-yard box was just intercepted by the keeper who gathered possession on 53 minutes.

Will Allison then got through down the right wing for Bury, looking to set Muhammed through down the centre but the shot went just wide of the near post- though the Bury striker was offside anyway on 61 minutes. Five minutes later Bury went close once more, Cooper again through down the wing to the byline squared across to Muhammed dangerously again- this time though the defender was first to it to vitally put just wide for a Bury corner, although the corner was headed just wide sixty seconds later.

Cowling then curled a corner goal-wards in the 71st minute, forcing the defender to head away as far as Finlay Plant on the edge of the box whose half-volley went over the crossbar.

Up the other end three minutes later, Mildenhall set a man through in acres of space on goal after a good ball through, but the shot was dragged an inch wide of the bottom corner from inside the box.

Liam Foreman meanwhile was drawn into a good save with 13 minutes remaining, the home side picked up possession 35-yards from goal to bend a good low curling strike towards the bottom corner but the Bury keeper got across well to beat it away.

Cowling then curled an eightieth minute free-kick round the wall well from the left-wing but went straight into the keeper's chest at the back post. However, the midfielder's next set-piece two minutes later was to prove vital as Cowling again curled it over the heads in the wall as the ball dipped perfectly into the bottom right-hand corner to bring Bury level, 1-1.

A terrific double save from Foreman ensured Bury would remain on level terms with 3 minutes left on the clock, the hosts through down the middle inside the box drew a great save from point blank range from the keeper who reacted well to keep it out, before then standing firm to block a fierce close range strike from the rebound.

Bury though completed the turn-around two minutes into stoppage time, the blues finding Muhammed 35-yards from goal to fire a thunderous strike onto the underside of the crossbar which just rebounded back into play where Will Allison was inside the six-yard box but couldn't head goal-wards. Ethan Mills however was on hand to fire a fantastic volley home from close range into the top right-hand corner, 1-2 Bury.

Mildenhall had the last chance of the evening though four minutes later, as a free-kick into the box fell to a yellow shirt close to the far post whose volley went low into the side-netting, as Bury collect all three points ahead of Monday's local derby at home to Walsham Le Willows.

Full Time: Mildenhall Town Under-18s 1 Bury Town Under-18s 2

Bury Town Under-18s:
1 Liam Foreman
2 Finlay Bonas
13 Jack Heider
4 Finlay Plant
5 Charlie Walker
6 Andrew Conroy (capt)
7 Keaton Cowling
8 Callum Steed
9 Amin Muhammed
10 Ethan Mills
11 Kyran Cooper
Subs:
12 Will Allison
14 Max Darnell
15 Ross Martin
16 Hari Jolland

Goals: O.Hubbard (49'); Cowling (82'), Mills (90'+2').