Tough night for Under 23's as Bowers run riot

The visitors, who won the division last season, went close on 3 minutes as No.8 went for goal from 30-yards out on the right but only to see his fierce strike saved well by Bugg- who dived across to his left to get a strong hand to palm the shot onto the face of the post and away to safety. Bowers opened the scoring on 5 minutes, a corner on the left was headed well by the unmarked Lee Hirst in the centre into the bottom near corner just about to cross the line as Crichton’s efforts to slide in and clear are invain, 0-1 Bowers. Bury though responded with Cruise Nyadzayo showing off some good footwork on the left in the area to strike fiercely at goal but saw his shot denied. Bowers’ Luke Hirst then forced a good save out of George Bigg on 14 minutes, the Pitsea No.10 was released by a good through-ball down the right into the box on the same side, Bugg advanced off his line to close down the angle, and did enough to save the shot towards the far corner with his right foot. A minute later, Bowers won a free-kick on the right edge of the box as No.11 took it but curled the free-kick comfortably over the top far corner. Bury though had a good chance on 16 minutes, Cruise Nyadzayo tried his luck at goal from range, hitting his shot well but straight into the keeper’s chest. Hirst then made it two goals for both him and Bowers on 18 minutes, as the forward got through on the left beating the charging Bugg to it with Ince with him, the visiting player then proceeds into the box but Ince and the retreating Bugg are just unable to prevent him from netting into the bottom right corner, 0-2 Bowers.

Maxwell Maughn had a great chance for Bury on 21 minutes, firing narrowly over the bar from distance. Bowers however brought a routine save out of Bugg, as the number 7 was released by a through-ball down the left to shoot low at the near post but was comfortable for the Bury keeper on 22 minutes. Six minutes later, Bowers again set a man through on goal on the left, though this time the strike beat the bottom far corner but was offside regardless. Bury then went close to pulling a goal back on 33 minutes, Cruise Nyadzayo tussled well down the right wing, keeping possession well to get onto the box, as his attempt was turned behind the near post by the keeper diving down. Bowers meanwhile, set a man through on the Bury goal a minute later, as he advanced into the area to go down off the left-boot of the committed Bugg whilst trying to round the stopper- as the visitor’s appeals for a penalty leave the referee unmoved. Moments later however, Lee Hirst got his hat-trick as the Bowers right winger got through on the right in the box to square across to Hirst who found the bottom right corner from around 12 yards out, 0-3 Bowers.

Bowers then had a free-kick on the left edge of the box, but skied the ball over the top far corner on 36 minutes. A minute later, Lee Hirst got another goal as the Bowers man was again set through in acres of space down the right to dribble into the box, as Bugg advanced to meet him but the forward rounded the Bury stopper to finish low into the middle of the empty net, 0-4 Bowers. It continued to go from bad to worse to horrific for Bury, as Bowers added a fifth goal on 39 minutes, Pedro Da Silva Barbosa got through on the left hand side in the box on a plate for the forward to beat the advancing Bugg to finish low into the middle of the net, 0-5 Bowers. Bury though had a good chance to pull a goal back on 40 minutes, Emmanuel Machaya’s low shot on the right edge of the area went wide of the bottom near corner. Bowers then added another goal on 44 minutes, Hirst was set through again down the right to advance through on goal, George Bugg came out slightly to try and reduce the angles but couldn’t prevent the striker adding his 5th goal, into the bottom right corner. Bury though had the final opportunity of the half, the hosts shot low on the right edge of the box but straight at the keeper, with the Blues having a mountain 5o climb at the interval with Bowers leading 0-6.

Half Time: Bury Town 0 Bowers & Pitsea 6

The second half began in similar fashion, Bowers having a strike at goal on the right edge of the box but curling and dipping just wide of the bottom far corner on 47 minutes. Bowers though added a seventh goal a minute later, as Hirst picked up his sixth of the evening, the visitors got through on the right to square across to Hirst, as the number 10 shot low underneath Bugg into the bottom near corner from close range, 0-7 Bowers. Bowers continued to add to their rout on 49 minutes, Lee Hirst raced through on goal on the left to shoot low from close range last Bugg and into the middle of the net, 0-8 Bowers. The visitors then struck fiercely at goal on the right edge of the box on 51 minutes, but rocketted off the near side of the crossbar and over for a Bury goal-kick. Bury though pulled back a consolation on 52 minutes, Harry Brown releasing Charlie Cook through on the edge of the box to calmly slog into the bottom right corner, good finish to make it 1-8 to the cheers of the home support amongst the 45 in attendance. Bury then had a good chance three minutes later, Cruise Nyadzayo was set through down the right wing as the shot on the byline required the keeper to dive to his right on his goal-line and Palm it away. The visitors however won a corner on the right on 56 minutes, but headed wide at the far post from close range.

Six minutes later, Charlie Cook’s corner in on the right almost led to a second Bury goal, the midfielder finding the head of Branham Ince who headed the ball onto Machaya behind him, as the ball eventually fell to Joe Hogg from 6-yards out who just turned the ball wide of the bottom left corner. Up the other end meanwhile, Bowers countered upfield as Bugg made a good save down to his left at his near post. Bowers then added to their goal tally once more on 64 minutes, a good shot by Alex Balisani on the right hand side in the box found the bottom far corner, 19 Bowers. Bowers almost made it ten goals on 67 minutes, Tyler Richardson!s shot on the left inside the area was vitally cleared off the line by a defender with Bugg beaten. Bury then had a good chance to pull a second goal back on 68 minutes, Emmanuel Machaya getting through on the right byline from 6-yards out but shot into the side-netting. With twenty minutes to go Bowers did add a tenth goal, again a visiting man got through on the right to square to Samuel Jeremiah with practically the freedom of the box to finish well into the top left corner, 1-10 Bowers.

Bury then went close to scoring again, Cruise Nyadzayo’s cross in on the right was headed off target by Harry Brown with the goal almost gaping on 80 minutes. Bowers however forced a routine save out of George Bugg on 83 minutes, as a header on the right hand side in the box went straight at the keeper at his near post but was offside nonetheless. The visitors though continued to add to the damage on 84 minutes, Bradley Greene this time through on the left hand side in the Bury penalty area to slot comfortably into the bottom left corner, 1-11 Bowers. Lee Hirst then got through on the left inside the area once more a minute later, though his line Bugg saved the shot well down to his left at his near post before collecting the loose ball off his goal-line. Richardson was then set through to race one-on-one with just Bugg to beat, although the low shot in the area beat the keeper but not the face of the bottom right post on 86 minutes.

A minute later however, Bury went close as Cruise Nyadzayo’s shot at goal from the edge of the box went just over the bar. Fellow striker Emmanuel Machaya though shot over from long range on 88 minutes, as Bowers rounded off the scoring on 89 minutes. Samuel Jeremiah chipping Bugg from close range on the left into the far corner, as Bury’s first game of the new season got off to the worst possible start.

Full Time: Bury Town 1 Bowers & Pitsea 12

DREW KENDALL