Late goal costly for Under 23's

Bury Town's Development side, sponsored by F.A Valiant & Son Ltd, came back from their trip to Ware with a point, but it could have been all three but for a late equaliser from the home side to share the spoils in the North Division of the Bluefin Development League.

The two sides had met earlier in the season at the Denny Bros Stadium and on that occasion Bury ran out 6-2 winners, but Bury had to adapt to playing on the 3G surface at Wodson Park, the first time this season they have played on a artificial pitch.

The home side started on the front foot and failed to capitalise on a couple of early mistakes from the visitors who looked nervous early on, and were made to pay for that when Emmanuel Machaya scored a fine individual goal to open the scoring on 24 minutes. The Bury striker danced past three or four challenges in the Ware half before clipping the ball into the net past Ware 'keeper Cameron Luck. Ware had enjoyed the lions share of possession early on but found themselves behind.

Bury took their slender lead into the second half and Joe White was booked three minutes into the half for a challenge, but Ware drew level in the 61st minute when some slack defending allowed Alfie Campbell to sneak in at the far post and level the scores. The scores only remained level for four minutes as Ware goalkeeper Cameron Luck was adjudged to have handled the ball outside the area when coming to collect an upfield ball in a challenge with Tommy Robinson, and it was Robinson who scored from the resulting free kick right on the edge of the penalty area to put Bury back in front. Ware had argued that Robinson had fouled the 'keeper on the edge of the area with a high foot, but the referee and his assistant saw it as a fair attempt for the ball.

Bury had their best spell of the game in the final half hour but failed to kill the game off with a third goal, and were punished for that when Frazer John picked up the ball out on the right hand side and he curled the ball into the corner of the net from outside the penalty area past Nick Hayes and the defenders in front of him to level the scores.

Both sides pushed hard for a winner in a frantic last five minutes but neither side had enough for find a third goal so it was a point a piece on a bitterly cold evening in Hertfordshire.

Full Time: Ware Development 2 Bury Town Development 2