Bury Town take local bragging rights with big home win over Mildenhall

Bury Town right-back, Jake Kerins, in action during the West Suffolk derby against Mildenhall Town. The visitors' Ben Nolan is in the background. Picture: CARL MARSTON (Image: Archant)

Bury Town eased to an impressive home victory over west Suffolk rivals Mildenhall Town, in a richly entertaining Bostik North clash at Ram Meadow this afternoon.

A good crowd of 432 enjoyed some warm sunshine and a match crammed full of goal-scoring chances, at both ends, although the hosts were good value for their win.

First-half goals by Ryan Jolland and Ollie Hughes, plus a second-half effort from left-back Ryan Stafford, sealed the points for Ben Chenery’s men.

Both sides had early chances to score. Bury front-man Hughes cut inside before unleashing a shot which was kept out by Blake Horton on three minutes, and just seconds later play switched to the other end with John Kennedy doing well to charge down a goal-bound shot by Tom Debenham.

The setting at Ram Meadow, looking towards the main stand, during Saturday's Bostik North clash betwene hosts Bury Town and Mildenhall Town. Picture: CARL MARSTON (Image: Archant)

The Hall so nearly broke the deadlock in the seventh minute. Evans Kouassi delivered a pinpoint cross for Jarid Robson to meet with a firm header which was superbly saved by keeper Luis Tibbles.

And the visitors were left to rue that squandered opportunity, when Jolland scored the opener for Bury in the 15th minute. The Blues midfielder chased onto a through ball to plant his shot past advancing keeper Horton from 10 yards out.

Bury doubled their lead, just four minutes later. A corner by Tanner Call was emphatically headed into the roof of the net by an unmarked Hughes, from the edge of the six-yard box.

The hosts were by now well on top, and should really have added to their tally before the break.

A curling free-kick by Jake Chambers-Shaw dropped the wrong side of the upright on 25 minutes, while on the half-hour mark a cross by the excellent Jolland saw Call just unable to divert into an empty net, the ball skidding wide off a defender.

Mildenhall were within a whisker of halving the deficit inside two minutes of the second period, but a rocket-shot by Ben Nolan crashed against the near post, and Robson was unable to net from the rebound.

The Blues added a third goal in the 52nd minute, to effectively seal the points, with Stafford’s cross-cum-shot from the left squeezing into the net just inside the far post and just under the bar.

There was perhaps a touch of fortune about the goal, although in the end it was a precision finish.

Midway through the second half, Horton had to be at his best to beat away an angled free-kick by Chambers-Shaw, on his goal-line, as Bury continued to press.

At the other end, Kouassi failed to find the back of the net with just keeper Tibbles to beat on 70 minutes.

SQUADS

BURY TOWN: Tibbles, Kerins, Stafford, Kennedy (sub Revell, 90), Miller, Clements, Horne, Jolland, Hughes, Chambers-Shaw (sub Robinson, 80) Call. Unused subs: Hammond, White, Bugg.

MILDENHALL TOWN: Horton, Cooper, Camilo-Tayaca, Seymour, Boxer (sub Pereira, 79), Smith, Nolan (sub Manels, 70), Brown, Debenham, Robson, Kouassi. Unused subs: Walker, Bull.

Attendance: 432