Charlie Cook hat-trick defeats Holland

Bury Town Under 18's ended their Holland counterparts ten game winning run, inflicting only their third defeat of the League season in the process after a superb 4-0 win at Denny Bros Stadium, after a hat-trick from Captain & MOTM Charlie Cook and a goal from Amin Mohammad. The clean sheet is also only the first time this season Bury have picked up back to back clean sheets this season, having beaten Little Oakley 1-0 away last week.

Holland though had an early opportunity as early as the second minute, as a free-kick in on the right wing into the box was headed wide off the top corner at the far post. Bury though, who fielded six Under 16's in their starting XI, won a free-kick of their own in the fifteenth minute. Charlie Cook’s set-piece from the halfway line finding Andrew Conroy at the right post, who headed just over the bar.

The home side then had a great chance to open the scoring on 24 minutes, when Callum Steed was pushed down to the ground on the right hand side in the box. Cook stepped up to brilliantly place the spot-kick into the top right corner, sending the keeper the wrong way to give Bury a 1-0 lead with 20 first half minutes to play. Back came Holland though, who won a corner on the right on 27 minutes which was partially cleared away in a packed penalty area, with the header back towards goal headed away by a Bury defender. Holland then had a go at goal two minutes later, but hit a low effort straight at Reynolds at his left post. Holland then had another shot at the Bury goal on 31 minutes, the visitor’s low shot from the right edge of the box however was off target off the far post, with Reynolds able to gather anyway.

Three minutes later, Holland went close to equalising, when a corner in from the right was headed towards goal at the near post but was headed off the line at the top far corner. Down the other end, Bury went close to doubling their advantage with ten minutes to go before the break, as Charlie Cook let fly from outside the box but was just palmed away by the keeper down to his left. The Young Blues had another good chance to increase their lead on 36 minutes, after setting Andrew Conroy through on the right hand side in the box who squared the ball across to Amin Mohammad in the centre, who just couldn’t reach.

Bury then won another free-kick after the 40th minute, Cook’s set-piece though curled over the top left corner. Holland then won a free-kick on the left edge of the box three minutes later, as Bastone’s original set-piece was blocked by the wall back to the Holland man, whose rebound strike was also blocked by a Bury defender. The Blues meanwhile, had one last opportunity a minute into added time, Cook’s free-kick in from the right wing was inadvertently headed towards his own goal by a Holland defender but was bailed out by his keeper, catching on his goal line. That was it for the first half, as Bury led 1-0 at the break thanks to Cook’s penalty midway through the half.

Half Time: Bury Town U 18's 1 Holland U18's 0

The second half began with Holland having the more of the chances, as they chased an equalising goal. The away side though never really troubled Reynolds in the Bury goal, as Holland fired a strike from range comfortably wide off the Bury keeper’s left post on 47 minutes. Whilst neither side really troubled either keeper, the chances falling fairly close to each other, with the next four going the way of the away side. Holland heading a corner in on the left wide off the top left corner from the far post on 49 minutes. Nine minutes later, Holland won a free-kick in a dangerous position on the right edge of the box but fired over the top left corner. On 61 minutes, Holland went close again following a corner in on the left. The set-piece was swung in dangerously across the face of face of goal, forcing Connor Reynolds to tip away at his far post on his goal line, where Harrington running in headed wide off the top right corner from a yard out.

The away side then almost pulled level a minute later, as Rose got through to the left edge of the box where he was met by Reynolds charging out to clear. The Holland man just beat the Bury stopper to the ball, toe poking it towards the bottom near corner, just before the two collided, but was cleared off the line superbly by a retreating defender. At the other end, great play from Bury saw Tinde set Mohammad through on the left hand side of the Holland box on 67 minutes, as the latter shot low at goal from eight yards out but was blocked well by the advancing keeper. Six minutes later, the second placed side went agonisingly close to leveling proceedings twice in quick succession, the first attempt from the right was palmed away well by the strong hands of Reynolds, only as far as Seward who picked up the rebound on the left just outside the six-yard box but smacked his shot off the outside of the left post. Shortly after however, the away side shot low but straight at Reynolds from the edge of the box.

Holland were denied once again by Reynolds on 76 minutes, as Gray’s ferocious shot from the left hand side in the box was palmed away by Reynolds, standing firm at his near post, before the woodwork came to Bury’s rescue, with inside of the far post denying a Holland header from the rebound. Bury though fought back, as Amin Mohammad’s shot in the box was deflected behind for a corner on 78 minutes. Bury then won another penalty two minutes later, when Mohammad was brought down on the left hand side in the box. Again, Charlie Cook stepped up to dispatch his second spot-kick of the evening into the top right corner, 2-0 Bury with nine minutes to go. The Bury skipper wasn’t done there, determined to pick up a hat-trick, as his free-kick went over the top left corner on 84 minutes.

Bury then extending their lead to 3-0 with 2 minutes left on the clock, with Mohammad grabbing his second goal in as many games, slotting into the goal from close range. Still not satisfied, Bury almost had fourth goal two minutes into stoppage time, when a Bury free-kick in from the left picked out Andrew Conroy at the far post whose header at goal went straight to the keeper at his left post. The Blues though rounded off the scoring six minutes into added time, as Charlie Cook picked up a hat-trick with a goal of the season contender, firing into the roof of the net from distance. With that Bury ran out 4-0 winners, picking up their third league shut out off the season, and their second in a row.

Full Time: Bury Town U 18's 4 Holland U18's 0

DREW KENDALL

Bury Town U18:
1 Connor Reynolds
2 Joseph Gunn
3 Tyler Matthews
4 Ben Lyddiatt
5 Andrew Conroy
6 Ethan Heap
7 Callum Steed
8 Charlie Cook (c)
9 Amin Mohammad
10 Louis Johnson (59’ Tinde)
11 William Allison
Subs:
12 Adam Newton (unused)
14 Thomas Bristley (unused)
15 Chester Rudnicki
16 John Tinde
17 James Field-Rayner

Holland U18:
1 Lachlaj Carpenter
2 Thomas White
3 Jage Bruce
4 Brandon Hunt (c)
5 James Williams
6 Jayden Randall
7 Charlie Rose
8 Ryan Harrington
9 Matthew Gray
10 Sonny Bastone
11 Marcus Russell
Subs:
12 Mitchell Kill
14 Finley Capo
15 Josh Seward
16 Jonathan Brown

Booked: Cook (10’), Hunt (33’), Holland (37’), Rose (45’), Kill (90’+2’),