Development side defeated

Bury Town Development ended their inaugural home Bluefin Development North season with a slender defeat to Haringey Borough, as the third place visitors ran out 2-1 winners against 4th placed Bury.

Bury though controlled early on, Josh Revell smacking a rocket of a shot at goal from the right edge of the box, but was parried away by the keeper at his far post before gathering the loose ball in the first minute. Bury then took an early lead, after Joshua Revell's cutback from the right byline found an unmarked Emmanuel Machaya at the near post to simply tap home into the near corner on 6 minutes, rewarding the hosts' bright start. Haringey meanwhile, thought they were back level three minutes later, as the visitors ran through on goal, one-on-one before finding the top right corner. However, the flag was up for offside, as Bury maintained their lead. Haringey then drew a great stop out off George Bugg on 13 minutes, as Mengi drilled a low shot at goal from the right hand side in the box but was blocked away superbly by Bugg down at his near post. The away side then had another attempt at goal on 15 minutes, after Mantella took aim from 25-yards but was denied by a Bury defender.

The action continued four minutes later, as Emmanuel Machaya won a free kick just outside the area. The goalscorer took the set-piece himself, but was blocked by the foot of a man in the wall. Haringey meanwhile forced another great save out off George Bugg, as the shot on the left was beaten away by the Blues MOTM at the near post on 21 minutes. The away side though did beat George Bugg with a screamer on 27 minutes, to draw level. Andic's rocket from 25-yard flew into the top right corner, cancelling out Machaya's early strike for Bury. Haringey then almost went ahead in the following minute, after Rowe dispossessed Grochicki 18-yards from the Bury goal, as the low shot went straight to Bugg.

Haringey then had two shots in quick succession on 33 minutes, with the first from the left hand side in the box being blocked away by Branham Ince, before the follow up for fired at goal but was deflected wide off the left post off a Haringey man. As the half drew to a close, Haringey still created opportunities, firing a low shot just wide off the left post on 42 minutes. Bury meanwhile, also kept creating chances as Josh Revell fed Harry Brown on the right side in the box. The latter's low shot however went low and wide off the near post on 43 minutes. Moments later, Harvey Addison then went close to finding the target for Bury himself, shooting low and narrowly wide off the right post from inside the area. Then just before the interval, Haringey whipped a free kick into the Bury area from the right, but flicked the header wide off the far post. The player though was offside, as the two sides went into the break on level terms.

Full Time: Bury Town 1 Haringey Borough 1

The second half, like the first, started with an early goal, as Haringey took the lead on 50 minutes, setting Rowe through on the right hand side in the box to skill his way past Bugg before slotting into the net from close range, 1-2 Haringey. A minute later, Haringey had another shot at goal but blasted low and wide off the far post, from the right edge of the box, before the visitors shot just over the bar on 52 minutes. Bury then went close on 53 minutes, as Tanner Call's low shot from the left hand side in the box went agonisingly wide off the far post. Back down the other end, Bugg denied Haringey with another great stop on 56 minutes, after Price was set through one on one in the box, as the Blues stopper stood strong to block behind for a corner at his near post. The resulting set piece in however, was swung in low and close to goal but the shot was blocked.

As the entertaining game reached the hour mark, Haringey sent a man through on goal down the middle, with two defenders chasing. Bugg though raced out in an attempt to clear away, but accidentally fouled his man and was seemingly booked for the challenge. The keeper though made amends from the set-piece two minutes later, as the low free-kick in from the left forced the keeper, on is goal line to get down well to his left post and palm away, with a man running in. Haringey though netted the rebound into the bottom left corner, but was rightly ruled out for a foul on Bugg. Bury then had a great chance of their own on 64 minutes, as the Blues' low shot from 25-yards out on the left but was spilt by the keeper at his near post, with Brown lurking- but was let off the as the ball went behind for a corner. From the corner though Brown was found unmarked at the far post, where he thundered a volley over the bar from close range.

Bury then increased the pressure on the Haringey goal on 67 minutes, as Branham Ince's cross in on the right found Machaya at the back post, whose shot was blocked. Meanwhile Bury went very close to restoring parity, after Brown's header rebounded away off the inside of the left post and away, as Bury continued to hunt for that equaliser. Talk about action packed and frantic, as Haringey had three great chances to extend their lead after each other on 73 minutes. The first was fired low on the right at goal but rebounded off the inside off the far post and across the goal line before falling to a Haringey man on the right hand side in the box. His shot then met the same outcome, this time via a vital save by Bugg, who reacted superbly to save the third of the three rockets at his goal.

The game though still wasn't done yet, as Haringey won a corner on the right on 82 minutes, with the shot at goal at the near post blocked well by a Blues defender. Bury then looked to counter, setting Machaya through on goal down the centre, but was stopped by a dubious offside flag. Down the other end two minutes later, Haringey tried their luck from range but fired low and wide off the right post. That was the last action, as Bury signed off from home action with a narrow defeat, with three away games left to play in the season.

Full Time: Bury Town 1 Haringey Borough 2

DREW KENDALL