Table toppers AFC Sudbury took the win to strengthen their place as league leaders in this A134 local derby
Bury Town started the game on the front foot and enjoyed the early possession in the local derby at the Mel Group Stadium in front of a record league crowd for the home side.
On 6 minutes Cemal Ramadan won the ball high up the pitch and went on to find space to shoot but his shot went wide of the post. Sudbury went straight on the attack with Oliver Caley-Brown sending Sakariya Hassan on his way down the wing and his cross in hit the top of the bar. On 16 minutes Alfie Cutbush got into the box for Bury but was soon shut out by three defenders and the ball was back with Sudbury.
On 20 minutes Joshua Mayhew put a good cross into the far post for Sudbury looking for Sakariya Hassan but some good defensive work from Joe Hood cleared any danger.
On 22 minutes Sudbury won a free kick which Reece Harris put on to the head of Joshua Mayhew, but he headed over the bar. Another Sudbury free kick on 27 minutes was headed wide by Joe Grimwood.
On 34 minutes a shot from distance from Sudbury by Joshua Stokes saw Charlie Woods save but spill back into play in the box but Joe White was quickest to react for Bury and cleared the ball from the goal mouth.
Just before the break Joshua Mayhew drove into the Bury box but went down under the slightest of touches looking for the penalty but the referee was unimpressed and waved play on. Sudbury had got into the game after a slow start and had the better of the chances in the first half but Bury looked good at the back and defended well.
Half Time: AFC Sudbury 0 Bury Town 0
The early period of the second half saw Sudbury take things up a gear and started to control the game. On 47 minutes Harrison Chatting and Joshua Mayhew worked the ball to the edge of the Bury box but a vital interception from Ollie Fenn won the ball back for Bury.
Mayhew opened the scoring on 50 minutes when Reece Harris worked the ball in from the wing and found Mayhew in the box, Mayhew’s first touch was perfect to make the space to score with his second touch.
On 61 minutes Bury were guilty of giving the ball away and Mayhew pounced on the chance and went on in to the Bury box to get his and Sudbury’s second goal with a stylish finish.
Sudbury looked in control of the game until on 66 minutes when substitute Cruis Nydazayo put the perfect ball through in to Cemal Ramadan in the box and from a tight angle Ramadan came up with a stylish finish of his own to pull a goal back for Bury, slotting the ball under the ‘keeper and into the bottom corner of the net.
The goal lifted Bury and gave Sudbury something to worry about. Bury finished the game strong but so did the Sudbury defences as they closed ranks at the back and slowed the game down as much as they could to take the win at the final whistle after a long period of injury time.
Full Time: AFC Sudbury 2 Bury Town 1
The David Longman Man of the Match: Joe White
Match Rating: 3
Attendance: 945