Bury Town clinch 4-3 thriller at AFC Sudbury

Bury Town left-back Ryan Jolland prepares to cross the ball during the 4-3 win at AFC Sudbury on Easter Monday. Bury entertain Heybridge Swifts today. Picture: CARL MARSTON (Image: Archant)

A rollercoaster ride, in the afternoon sunshine, ended with Bury Town pipping hosts AFC Sudbury in a seven-goal thriller at King’s Marsh.

Bury were 2-0 up and coasting at half-time, through goals from Emmauel Machaya and Tanner Call, but they found themselves trailing 3-2 with just four minutes to go after a brace of penalties by Paul Hayes and a header by Tyler French had turned this game on its head.

However, late goals by Ollie Hughes and Jake Chambers-Shaw ensured yet another turnaround, as Bury rubber-stamped their finishing position of sixth in the Bostik North table.

Bury broke the deadlock after just five minutes, from their first attack. Hughes burst down the right and squared for Chambers-Shaw, whose initial shot was well blocked by Paul Walker. However, the alert Machaya was on hand to sweep home the rebound from the edge of the six-yard box.

Goalmouth action as AFC Sudbury have to defend yet another first-half corner against Bury Town. Picture: CARL MARSTON (Image: Archant)

It continued to be one-way traffic and Machaya was denied by the busy Walker in the 24th minute, while the home keeper performed heroics to keep out Hughes’ thunderous header from a 31st minute corner.

However, Bury did double their lead, just two minutes later, Call running clear of the AFC back-line to direct his shot beyond the onrushing Walker.

Seven minutes into the second half and AFC Sudbury halved the deficit, Hayes dispatching a penalty beyond the dive of keeper Luis Tibbles after Ross Crane had been adjudged to have been fouled.

Callum Harrison so nearly poached an equaliser, in the 63rd minute, running clear of the Bury defence and rifling in a shot which Tibbles did well to divert wide.

Bury Town manager Ben Chenery watches on, in the sunshine, as his side take the initiative at AFC Sudbury yesterday. Picture: CARL MARSTON (Image: Archant)

However, Sudbury did level in the 66th minute. Hayes drew a foul inside the box, and the veteran front-man picked himself up to send Tibbles the wrong way with his precise spot kick.

And AFC completed what appeared to be a remarkable turnaround, four minutes later, when substitute French headed home from a corner to make it 3-2.

Yet there were two further stings in the tail, Hughes guiding home a pinpoint header from Ryan Jolland’s 86th minute free-kick to make it 3-3, and Chambers-Shaw then squeezing home what proved to be the winner in the second minute of injury-time, following good work by Hughes.

It was a breathless end to a breathless game.

Bury Town players enjoy a drinks break, after going 2-0 up at AFC Sudbury. Picture: CARL MARSTON (Image: Archant)